Portable Rapid Imaging for Medical Emergencies

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Patient Satisfaction; Conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Portable Magnetic Resonance Imaging

• Registration Number: NCT06930534
• Lead Sponsor: Yale University

Brief Summary

This study will compare the time it takes to scan a patient in the emergency department with a portable MRI when compared to a conventional MRI. Participants will be randomized to receive a portable MRI plus standard of care (SOC) vs SOC. Investigators will look at time to beginning of scan for both.

Detailed Description

The primary objective of this study is to determine whether portable brain MRI reduces the time from scan order to scan start in the emergency department as compared to conventional brain MRI. The secondary objectives of this study are 1) to measure the percentage of scans that are completed after order and the time from order to completion, 2) to compare findings on portable MRI to conventional brain imaging findings, 3) to compare the total length of stay between the portable MRI and conventional MRI groups, and 4) to understand the impact of portable MRI scans on decision making and provider satisfaction based on qualitative surveys administered to a physician endpoint panel. This is a prospective, observational, randomized study. Participants will be recruited from the pool of patients ordered for a brain MRI, with or without contrast and excluding hyperacute MRI, in the emergency department. Participants will be randomized to one of two treatment groups, scan or standard-of-care (SOC). Participants in the scan arm will receive a portable MRI scan as soon as the scanner is available after randomization.

Participants in the SOC arm will not receive a portable MRI scan as part of their initial evaluation. Regardless of randomization arm, all participants will receive their scheduled conventional MRI as usual. Information on each participant's clinical course, conventional imaging, and length of stay will be collected, regardless of treatment group. On a rolling basis, surveys containing deidentified clinical information and portable MRI scans will be administered to a physician panel to assess the impact of portable MRI scans on decision making and provider satisfaction.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-03-19
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-04-08
• Study First Posted: 2025-04-16
• Study Start: 2025-04-21
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-21
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-22
• Primary Completion: 2026-04
• Study Completion: 2026-04

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 200

Inclusion Criteria

• Male or female ≥ 18 years of age at presentation to Yale New Haven Hospital Adult ED
• Order to receive conventional brain MRI imaging originating in the YNHH Adult ED

Exclusion Criteria

• Lack of assent from treating physician for inclusion in this protocol.

• Contraindications to 1.5T MRI evaluation, including:

  1. Cardiac Pacemaker or defibrillator

  2. Aneurysm clip

  3. Implants or devices attached to the body in the chest or above, such as:

     1. Nerve stimulator
     2. Deep brain stimulator
     3. Programmable shunt
     4. Stent
     5. Pain pump
     6. Artificial extremity

  4. Implants in the ears (hearing aid or cochlear implant

  5. Any shrapnel, pellets, bullets, metallic fragments, or other metallic foreign body above the chest

  6. Metallic joints, rods, screws, or other orthopedic implants in or above the chest

  7. Braces, dentures, removable teeth, or dental expanders that cannot be removed.

  8. Body piercings in or above the chest that cannot be removed.

  9. MRI-incompatible Tracheostomy tube or Swan Ganz catheter in place

  10. History of uncontrolled seizures

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Time to start of scan	immediately post MRI (Day 1)	Time from brain MRI order to start of scan, either portable or conventional.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Percentage of Completed Scans	immediately post MRI (Day 1)	The proportion of scans completed in each arm will be compared.
Portable MRI Findings	immediately post MRI (Day 1)	The frequency of acute findings (e.g., ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage) using the portable MRI will be compared between groups.
Length of Stay	immediately post MRI (Day 1)	Total Emergency Department length of stay
Provider Satisfaction Survey	immediately post MRI (Day 1)	Provider survey data will be summarized using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for qualitative responses.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Yale New Haven Health Emergency Department; 🇺🇸 New Haven, Connecticut, United States