This technology could open up new possibilities for faster, more comfortable and more accessible medical scans, especially in certain diagnostic and follow-up settings.
But how does this innovative medical imaging system really work? Which parts of the body can it visualise and which diseases could it detect? And, above all, what does the available scientific evidence say about its accuracy and its limitations?
In this article we analyse the new ultrasound body scanner, the technology that makes its whole-body images possible and the current state of research. We also examine which claims are supported by scientific studies and which should still be interpreted with caution. A technological advance that could transform the future of medical diagnosis.
Artificial intelligence technology is now taking a step beyond images and moving into the field of health. Midjourney has announced Midjourney Medical, a new division focused on medical technology, whose first project would be an innovative ultrasound-based body scanner.
The so-called Midjourney Scanner promises to obtain an image of large areas of the body in approximately 60 seconds, without using ionising radiation, magnets or the usual closed tunnel of an MRI scanner.
The technology comes from Butterfly Network, a company specialising in medical ultrasound, through a licensing agreement. The system incorporates numerous ultrasound modules to generate body-composition maps, including information on fat, muscle and bone.
However, innovation should be distinguished from clinical evidence. For now, the device should not be regarded as an approved medical diagnostic tool. Its possible ability to detect diseases at an early stage remains a hypothesis that will have to prove its usefulness through clinical studies and the corresponding regulatory authorisation.
The proposal is fascinating, but it also raises a fundamental question: are we looking at the future of preventive medicine, or at a technology whose potential is still far ahead of the evidence?
For those of you who want to explore this promising new project in more depth, we leave you a document compiled from all the articles and information we have been able to find on the subject.
The Midjourney Scanner is a whole-body ultrasound scanner announced in June 2026 by Midjourney (the generative AI image company) through its new division Midjourney Medical. It promises to obtain 3D maps of the inside of the body in around 60 seconds, without ionising radiation and without the powerful magnets of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.[theverge][engadget][gigazine][elconfidencial][thenextweb]
What is it and how does it work?
- Technology: It is described as whole-body computed ultrasound (sometimes called “ultrasonic CT” or USCT).[wellfounded][wwwhatsnew][go-to-agency]
- Scanning mechanics: The person lies on a platform that slowly descends into a shallow pool of water; a ring of thousands/millions of ultrasonic transducers emits waves and records the echoes to reconstruct cross-sections of the body.[theverge][engadget][thenextweb]
- AI reconstruction: The raw data (terabytes/second) are processed with AI algorithms to generate 3D maps of muscle, fat, bone and organs at millimetre resolution.[gigazine][wwwhatsnew][iatrox]
- Target time: Midjourney claims that the full scan can be done in ~60 seconds, compared with the typical 60–90 minutes of a whole-body MRI.[theverge][engadget][thenextweb]
Claims and roll-out plans
- Performance: Founder David Holz has said that, “in many respects”, the results may be superior to an MRI, with greater speed and without radiation or strong magnetic fields.[thenextweb][wwwhatsnew][indiatoday]
- Business model: Initially it is positioned as body-composition maps (wellness), not as a diagnostic device.[thenextweb][wellfounded][go-to-agency]
- Spa and expansion: Midjourney plans to open a “spa” in San Francisco (Union Square) towards the end of 2027 with scanning booths, and to scale up to 50,000 scanners and ~1 billion scans/month by 2031.[elconfidencial][wwwhatsnew][go-to-agency]
- Hardware partnership: It has announced an investment of ~74 million dollars in Butterfly Network (ultrasound manufacturer) to enable the technology.[theverge][futurism]
Regulatory status and scepticism
- No diagnostic approval: At the time of the announcement, the device has no FDA clearance for diagnostic use and is positioned under “general wellness” policies.[thenextweb][wellfounded][go-to-agency]
- Clinical data: There are no published or peer-reviewed clinical data validating diagnostic accuracy; the claims of being “superior to MRI” and of preventing 30% of deaths are unverified projections.[thenextweb][wellfounded][futurism]
- Criticism: Several media outlets and analysts point out that it is a real prototype but with as yet unproven medical claims, and that full reconstruction may take longer (minutes) in current practice.[thenextweb][wellfounded][futurism]
Official resources and galleries
- Midjourney Medical website: https://www.midjourney.com/medical (includes a “Scan Gallery” with reconstructions and segmentations).[gigazine][midjourney]
- Announcement on X (Twitter): Midjourney published a “technical dive” on the scanner on 18/06/2026.[x]
Featured articles and analyses (in English and Spanish)
- The Verge (English): “Midjourney Medical goes from generating ‘cat images’ to full-body ultrasound scans” (18/06/2026).[theverge]
- Engadget (English): “Midjourney, the AI image generator, is developing a full-body ultrasonic scanner” (18/06/2026).[engadget]
- El Confidencial (Spanish): “El nuevo escáner de ultrasonidos que puede salvar un tercio más de vidas y reducir el gasto sanitario mundial a la mitad” (19/06/2026).[elconfidencial]
- Gizmodo (English): “Remember Midjourney? It’s Building a Medical Scanning Device…” (18/06/2026).[gizmodo]
- Futurism (English): “We Are Extremely Skeptical of MidJourney’s Weird Device…” (28/06/2026).[futurism]
- Wellfounded (English): “Scanned, Not Screened: What the Midjourney Medical Scanner Actually Means for Your Health” (02/07/2026).[wellfounded]
- India Today (English): “AI company Midjourney reveals full-body scanner, says MRI is complicated and old” (18/06/2026).[indiatoday]
- WWWhatsnew (Spanish): “Midjourney anuncia su primer hardware: un escáner de cuerpo completo por ultrasonidos en 60 segundos” (19/06/2026).[wwwhatsnew]
- Cybernews (English): “Midjourney announces AI spas and full-body imaging chambers straight out of a sci-fi movie” (18/06/2026).[cybernews]
Specific videos (event announcement, demonstrations or interviews) Direct links.
direct links to videos and demonstrations of the Midjourney Scanner and of the concept of the Midjourney Spa (how it is used, the setting, etc.):
Scanner/spa demonstrations and walkthroughs
- Behind-the-scenes (almost 20 min) of the “dunk-tank” scanner (The Verge, 03/07/2026): shows the hardware, the pool with platform and the sensor ring, though without validated medical claims.theverge
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/961265/midjourney-medical-ultrasound-scanner-behind-the-scenes-video - LIVE! Midjourney Studio – “Midjourney Medical, Scanner, Spa” (YouTube, 19/06/2026): official event with an explanation of the spa and the scanner, including the idea of a “pool of golden light” and scanning booths.youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxUlhhMUQ24 - “I Can’t Believe Midjourney Is Building This” (YouTube, 19/06/2026): detailed breakdown of how it works and of the spa (hot tubs, saunas, cold plunges and the scanning pools).youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuFuB6-FNl0 - “Midjourney Update | June 2026: Midjourney SCANNER, V8.2 Preview, Bigger Batches & More” (YouTube, 01/07/2026): segment on the scanner and the Midjourney Spa (location in Union Square, 10 scanners at launch, etc.). youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRoqFvmCWTI - Butterfly Network video (Facebook) – whole-body scanner prototype (no audio, but shows the prototype and the 60 s idea).facebook
https://www.facebook.com/butterflynetinc/videos/no-device-like-this-has-ever-been-builtmidjourneys-whole-body-scanner-prototype-/2463882170706556/
Tutorials / how to access the spa (waitlist)
- “How to Get Midjourney Artificial Intelligence Ultrasonic Spa Scan” (YouTube, 20/06/2026): shows the official website and the spa waitlist form.youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seNVs1YffnY
Renders and vision of the spa (short videos and posts)
- Instagram Reel (evolving.ai): visual description of the process (platform, water, sensor ring) and the spa with saunas/cold plunges.instagram
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZt0MDhz42M/ - Instagram Reel (abnux): explains the “less hospital, more spa” concept and the wellness setting.instagram
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZuqTRuBao8/ - Instagram post (thelightberg): explains that the scan is an option within the spa visit.instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZw7miTjlqc/ - Instagram Reel (mr.eflow): mentions the location next to the Apple Store in SF and shows the idea of 10 scanners in the spa.instagram
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZtr8EsuTHb/ - Instagram Reel (activeprogrammer): summarises the flow (platform → water → sensor ring → 3D map) and the plan to scale up to 50,000 scanners.instagram
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZub2w3OXz5/
