A major opportunity is emerging for early stroke and brain injury diagnosis in remote and aeromedical settings, as EMVision’s (ASX:EMV) First Responder device passes its first critical air-based test.

Stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are two of the most time-sensitive medical emergencies. In regional Australia, patients face long delays to diagnosis and specialist care — delays that directly impact survival rates and outcomes. EMVision’s portable brain imaging device aims to change that, by enabling triage and treatment decisions at the very first point of care.

“We are thrilled to have successfully taken the EMVision First Responder device into the field for the first time,” said CEO Scott Kirkland.

Device Proves Performance Under Pressure

The company announced that a series of volunteer scans using its First Responder Proof-of-Concept (PoC) device have been successfully carried out in real-world aeromedical settings in partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and the Australian Stroke Alliance.

During these tests, the scanner demonstrated its ability to handle the physical stress and challenging environmental conditions associated with retrieval flights. RFDS staff received initial training and operated the device under an existing ethics approval.

Kirkland added, “These studies are a key step in the development program, and the learnings will help us move from prototype to commercial product.”

Ethics Review Underway for Further Studies

Building on this milestone, EMVision has submitted an ethics application for a usability and workflow implementation study. In this upcoming study, RFDS staff will enrol and scan patients during actual retrievals.

The study will include collaboration with the South Australian Ambulance Service emergency retrieval team (MedStar), South Australia Health, the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Australian Stroke Alliance. It will evaluate reliability, usability, workflow metrics and functionality to ensure the device meets both user needs and international regulatory standards.

“Time is brain,” Kirkland emphasised. “Every second counts. This device has the potential to make a real difference for patients who otherwise face critical delays.”

Mobile Stroke Unit Study in Progress

In addition to the RFDS study, EMVision is progressing a separate ethics application for scans on suspected stroke patients attended by the Melbourne-based Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) — one of only a handful globally engaged in clinical research.

This study will enable EMVision’s device to be evaluated alongside contemporaneous CT scan data, providing valuable benchmarking as part of emergency stroke response.

Professor Geoffrey Donnan AO, Co-Chair of the Australian Stroke Alliance, said, “Urgent onsite brain imaging is the first step in the stroke treatment pathway. The RFDS and EMVision have an essential role to play in taking stroke care to rural patients.”

Industry Opportunity: Transforming Rural Stroke Care

The opportunity is significant. Rural Australians experience 17 per cent more strokes than their urban counterparts and often lack timely access to specialist stroke care.

Zoe Schofield, National Stroke Project Manager for Aeromedical Retrieval at the RFDS, noted, “It’s incredibly exciting to see this project come to life — a major step toward bringing rapid stroke assessment to aeromedical retrieval and rural communities.”

EMVision’s portable neurodiagnostic technology could help overcome geographic barriers and deliver faster diagnoses and treatment plans when they matter most.

Next Steps: From Prototype to Commercial Device

As testing progresses, EMVision is continuing product development efforts to move from advanced prototype units toward production-ready commercial devices.

Kirkland concluded, “We are excited by the opportunity to have a substantial positive impact in reducing the global burden of stroke.”