Key Takeaways
Midjourney launched a medical division and the Midjourney Scanner on June 17, a full-body ultrasonic device built on Butterfly Network chips.
The company claims a 60-second scan at a fraction of an MRI's cost, with a goal of 50,000 scanners worldwide by 2031.
The current prototype takes about 20 minutes, has scanned roughly a dozen people, uses no AI yet, and carries no FDA clearance.
Midjourney, the company best known for turning text prompts into images, announced a medical division on June 17 and a first hardware product called the Midjourney Scanner. Engadget reported the device is designed to scan a whole body in about 60 seconds, and the company is building spas where people can step in and get scanned.
The Scanner is a full-body ultrasonic imaging system, not an MRI. The Register reported that ultrasound firm Butterfly Network supplied the 40 imaging modules under a co-development license, and that the device captures tissue detail down to about half a millimeter, close to a clinical MRI.
Midjourney's pitch is cost and access. CEO David Holz says a scan will eventually take 60 seconds and cost a fraction of an MRI's price, with a goal of 50,000 scanners worldwide by 2031 to bring full-body imaging to everyone.
The Prototype Is Years Behind the Pitch
The gap between the announcement and the hardware is wide. TechTimes reported the current prototype takes roughly 20 minutes per scan, has been used on about a dozen people, runs with no AI in its imaging pipeline yet, and carries no FDA clearance. The company says it has started talks with the FDA and is targeting a far more capable third-generation machine in 2028.
None of this is new. Companies like Prenuvo and Ezra already sell whole-body scans through the FDA's general wellness lane. What's new is the ambition to collapse the price of looking inside your own body, from a gatekept appointment to something closer to a spa visit. The timeline is optimistic and the claims need the caveats, and the direction of the cost curve is still worth watching.
People Also Ask
What is the Midjourney Scanner?
A full-body ultrasonic imaging device from Midjourney's new medical division, built on Butterfly Network chips, that aims to scan the body in about 60 seconds.
Is the Midjourney Scanner an MRI?
No. It uses ultrasound, not magnetic resonance, and aims to rival MRI-quality imaging at lower cost, though it is not there yet.
Does the Midjourney Scanner have FDA approval?
No. The current prototype has no FDA clearance, and the company says it plans to submit test results to seek approval over time.
How much will the Midjourney Scanner cost?
Midjourney says a scan will eventually cost a few dollars, a fraction of a traditional MRI, though it has not set consumer pricing for the prototype.