U of U Startup Advances MRI Accessibility Amid New Federal Requirements

July 16, 2026

A Persistent Clinical Issue

For many patients, MRI exams can be uncomfortable or difficult, particularly for individuals with obesity, spinal conditions, limited mobility, or chronic pain. Standard imaging equipment often provides limited support, while manual lifting or improvised positioning can contribute to patient anxiety, exam delays, added strain on technologists, and reduced workflow efficiency.

These challenges continue after a patient is transferred onto the imaging table, when patients must be positioned within rigid MRI systems not designed for every body type. In many cases, positioning relies on manual assistance and temporary supports such as pillows, foam, and pads that were not designed to bear weight and may shift or compress during the exam. The result can include canceled or incomplete scans, reduced image quality, repeat imaging, patient discomfort, and increased physical demands on staff.

Federal accessibility requirements for medical diagnostic equipment, established in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have drawn renewed attention to this gap. Imaging departments are increasingly evaluating how they support access to care within the MRI environment while managing staffing pressures and growing patient complexity.

A Gap in Safety and Accessibility

Some of healthcare’s most meaningful innovations begin with problems identified at the point of care. Staff performing the work every day often recognize workflow limitations long before they are formally recognized elsewhere. KyphoLift emerged from that vantage point when a University of Utah MRI technologist set out to address a long-standing patient-positioning challenge with a safer, more consistent approach.

Brandon Johnson first recognized the gap while working an overnight shift at the University of Utah. Positioning an anxious patient who needed additional support, he found there was no purpose-built way to safely lift and maintain patients in the required position on the imaging table and within the bore. He encountered similar situations repeatedly, with manual positioning contributing to workflow variability and patient discomfort.

“Until that point in my career, I assumed that if something could be done, someone smarter would have already done it,” Johnson said. “That experience taught me that assumptions are meant to be challenged.”

He set out to build that safer approach. Johnson later joined the VA Salt Lake City as a Radiation Safety Officer and MR Safety Officer, continuing to develop the concept through the stages required for a medical device. KyphoLift became commercially available 25 months ago and is now in use across close to 100 sites in the United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting recognition that patient positioning remains a common challenge across MRI departments, regardless of manufacturer or facility.

Clinical Positioning Technology

KyphoLift is designed to provide stable, repeatable positioning and in-bore support throughout the MRI exam. Unlike improvised supports, it has a tested, rated load-bearing capacity, engineered and verified to hold a patient’s weight for the full duration of the scan, reducing reliance on manual lifting and temporary supports during positioning.

The device integrates into existing MRI suites without installation, consumables, or downtime, giving technologists a consistent way to support and stabilize patients without shifting, collapse, or repeated adjustment. It is intended for patients who require additional positioning support due to body habitus, mobility limitations, or musculoskeletal conditions.

“KyphoLift gives facilities a practical way to show they are thinking seriously about access, patient safety, and staff safety,” Johnson said.

Gathering Forward Momentum

“The University of Utah gave me the foundation to go from end user to medical device company—early access to counsel, support in protecting the idea, the resources to ask hard questions, knowledgeable peers, and an environment that inspires innovation,” Johnson said. “I’m grateful KyphoLift gets to be one of the many ways the U has improved healthcare—and proud it started here.”

KyphoLift now stands among the University of Utah’s growing record of healthcare innovation focused on improving access and addressing long-standing clinical challenges. As staffing pressures continue in radiology and federal accessibility requirements draw renewed attention to diagnostic imaging access, that early insight continues to reach healthcare teams beyond Utah, giving facilities a practical way to meet needs that standard equipment was never designed to address.

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