For children in critical condition, every minute matters. A brief pause or momentary delay, even the act of moving these patients across the hospital can introduce risk. Care has to meet these children exactly where they are.
That’s why Dell Children’s, in partnership with UT Health Austin, has brought the Hyperfine Swoop portable MRI directly to the bedsides of our most vulnerable children. This first-of-its-kind technology for our patients eliminates dangerous transports and delivers answers faster—offering clarity for clinicians and comfort for families when they need it most.
When Hope Must Move Fast
For children who are at their most physically vulnerable—on ventilators, life support, or otherwise unstable—moving them for traditional MRI scans isn’t just difficult, it’s dangerous. Until recently, our teams often had to rely on CT scans or delay imaging. Now, thanks to the Swoop portable MRI, we can bring answers directly to the bedside—whether it’s a stroke, a brain hemorrhage, or another critical condition where every minute matters.
The impact has been especially profound in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Neuro-NICU, where even the smallest movement can be the biggest risk our youngest patients face. Now, the tiniest and most fragile patients can be imaged safely without ever leaving their incubators.
Families at the Center
We know that for families, staying close is everything. The open-design portable MRI allows parents and caregivers to remain by their child’s side—reassured and present. This cutting-edge capability isn’t just about the speed or technology; it’s about increasing compassion, being able to hold a child’s hand, about being right there when it matters most.
With clearer 3D MRI images, families are also gaining a new, deeper level of understanding more quickly. Our care teams can even transform scans into 3D-printed models, allowing parents to literally hold a representation of their child’s brain or anatomy in their hands. In moments filled with fear and uncertainty, these tools bring clarity and help families feel confident in their medical decisions.
Innovation That Honors Our Mission
Dell Children’s is now the first pediatric hospital in Texas—and among the first in the nation—to use this portable MRI system in neurocritical care. That distinction matters, but what matters more is that children in Central Texas no longer need to travel or wait for lifesaving diagnostics.
Already, the Hyperfine has changed outcomes. In one case, a severely injured patient arrived at Dell Children’s and it was unclear whether brain surgery was necessary. A CT scan left questions unanswered. With the Hyperfine, physicians quickly confirmed that surgery was not the right course. Avoiding an unnecessary operation spared this child immense risk and gave their family peace of mind.
The technology also reduces the need for sedation—a significant benefit for children whose fragile conditions make anesthesia especially dangerous. Faster, safer imaging means care teams can act with confidence while sparing young patients additional trauma.
And Dell Children’s leadership in this field is gaining attention around the world. Our team is collaborating internationally, sharing findings with colleagues in Germany, and presenting results at the Pediatric International Symposium. This innovation is not just transforming care here in Austin—it’s helping shape the future of pediatric medicine globally.
Your Support Makes This Possible: HERE & HERE to Stay
This advancement isn’t just a medical milestone—it’s a tangible result of what the HERE Campaign aims to do: invest in people, facilities, and technology so children don’t have to leave home for the high-quality care they deserve.
Because of supporters like you—and the generous matching gift from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation—Dell Children’s is making incredible progress. From the Specialty Pavilion to Dell Children’s North, from the 4th Bed Tower to fetal care and more, every facility and program strengthened by HERE is a brick in the foundation of care for future generations.
And that’s where HERE to Stay comes in: ensuring that this care, this innovation, isn’t just here now—it remains, growing and evolving, for children who will need it years from now. Your gifts to the Endowment for Dell Children’s help us sustain life-changing technologies, recruit the top specialists, support families financially, enhance our facilities, and fuel research so that no child is turned away because of when they were born or where they live.
A Lifeline in Every Scan
When the Swoop MRI scans a child’s brain at the bedside, it does more than image tissue—it restores calm in the midst of crisis, gives parents hope in moments of doubt, and offers doctors clarity when every decision matters.
That is the work your generosity fuels. Because of donors like you, Dell Children’s doesn’t just deliver care. We deliver reassurance and healing—and we do it here.