Background: Access to imaging devices that can assist in the diagnosis of stroke in the prehospital environment are desperately needed. The Australian Stroke Alliance, in partnership with EMVision are aiming to reduce stroke inequity and bring the hospital to the patient with a lightweight, affordable imaging device. EMVision have developed an imaging device that uses an electromagnetic imaging system operating in the microwave band of the spectrum.
Aims: To acquire EMVision Gen 1 brain scans + ‘ground truth’ CT/MRI scans of participants with healthy brains, acute stroke and stroke mimics to advance the AI algorithms of the EMVision Gen 1 Brain Scanner.
Methods: In stage 1, the device will image 30 healthy participants for baseline healthy brain assessment for hardware qualification and as an input for the AI algorithms. Stage 2 will be participants suspected of stroke and include a minimum 15 haemorrhagic, 15 ischaemic, 10 migraine, 10 seizure and other stroke mimics. All baseline characteristics and endpoints for each study stage will be summarized descriptively.
Results: Stage 1 enrolment is complete and Stage 2 is in progress. Stage 1 included 30 healthy participants (17 male and 13 female) with a mean age of 63.8 ± 9.29. The hardware had a 100% scan success rate in terms of signal processability. The mean time to complete an EMVision Gen 1 workflow and brain scan was 9.2 ± 2.13 minutes. No adverse events occurred.
Stage 1 participant data has been incorporated into the EMVision AI algorithm training database. AI algorithm development continues as Stage 2 recruitment progresses.
Conclusion: The EMvision Gen 1 brain scanner has verified hardware and further advanced its AI algorithm in the assessment of healthy participants. Patients with acute stroke and stroke mimics are now being enrolled into the study.