Midjourney Enters Medical Hardware With Full-Body Ultrasonic Scanner

Midjourney, the AI image generator known for creating images from text prompts, has announced an ambitious pivot into medical hardware with the development of a full-body ultrasonic scanner capable of completing scans in 60 seconds. The project, launched under the new Midjourney Medical division, marks a significant departure from the company's core business and represents its first foray into hardware products.

The Midjourney Scanner uses half a million ultrasonic sensors arranged in a ring, each smaller than a grain of sand, to create detailed three-dimensional maps of the human body. Users step onto a platform and are submerged in water at a rate of 2 inches per second as they pass through the sensor ring. The ultrasonic waves emitted by these sensors bounce off the body and are recorded, producing images comparable to MRI scans but at nearly 100 times the speed. The company drew inspiration from dolphin echolocation in describing the technology's approach to full-body imaging.

Midjourney developed the scanner in partnership with Butterfly Network, a handheld ultrasound device maker. The companies signed a licensing agreement in November 2025 that granted Midjourney exclusive rights to Butterfly Network's ultrasound-on-chip technology. Ahmad Abbas, who joined Midjourney in late 2023 as head of consumer hardware projects after working on Apple's Vision Pro, leads the project.

The company's rollout plan is aggressive and phased. Over the next 12 months, Midjourney will refine algorithms, conduct research trials, and design a second-generation machine. The company plans to open its first spa housing Scanners in San Francisco in 2027. Subsequent phases include FDA approval for diagnostic capabilities and the launch of a third-generation machine using custom silicon in 2028. Midjourney aims to have 50,000 Scanners operational worldwide by 2031. The company has stated that widespread early imaging could potentially prevent 30 percent of all deaths and 50 percent of healthcare costs globally.