• First Responder device in successful aeromedical retrieval environment testing
• Ethics application under review for Royal Flying Doctor Service staff to enrol and scan patients
• Additional Mobile Stroke Unit study ethics application also in progress

EMVision Medical Devices Limited (ASX:EMV) is pleased to announce that its First Responder Proof-of-Concept (PoC) device has successfully undergone aeromedical environment testing. A series of volunteer scans with the First Responder PoC device have been carried out in remote settings, in collaboration with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and the Australian Stroke Alliance. RFDS staff received preliminary training and the scans were successfully completed under an existing ethics approval. The First Responder device demonstrated an ability to withstand the physical stress, environmental conditions and operational constraints unique to aeromedical retrieval. An ethics application has been submitted and is under review, under which RFDS staff will enrol and scan patients in a usability and workflow implementation study in the coming weeks. This study will evaluate the device's usability, reliability, functionality, and workflow metrics. In parallel, product development activities are underway to transition from advanced prototype PoC devices to production equivalent commercial devices. A further ethics application is in process to undertake EMVision First Responder scans during acute suspected stroke cases attended by the Melbourne Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU). This additional study aims to evaluate the use of the EMVision First Responder PoC device during pre-hospital emergency response to acute suspected stroke patients, while gathering contemporaneous ground-truth MSU CT-scan data.

The successful aeromedical testing of the First Responder device represents a major step toward bringing rapid stroke assessment to aeromedical retrieval and rural and remote communities. The upcoming clinical studies will provide valuable insights to inform the progress from advanced prototype to production equivalent commercial units, as EMVision works to have a substantial positive impact in the reduction of the global burden of stroke.