A behind-the-scenes look at Midjourney’s medical scanner leaves many questions unanswered
SkimNews Take
Midjourney's core skill is generating plausible images, not capturing real signals through physics — a gap that becomes unforgiving when medical imaging is the claimed application.
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- Midjourney released a nearly 20-minute behind-the-scenes video of its "dunk-tank ultrasound scanner," described by company engineer Marcin Plaza as scores of ultrasound probes "hacked apart and slapped on a glorified hot tub with an elevator in it" connected to off-the-shelf computers and Raspberry Pis.
- The video shows more hardware and team footage but largely glosses over physics and imaging questions experts previously raised about whether the scanner can overcome well-known ultrasound limits at the promised scale and speed.
- Midjourney is positioning the device as a wellness product focused on body composition for spas — a route that sidesteps the FDA clearance and clinical trials required for diagnostic medical devices.
- Head of medical Tom Calloway said the body composition focus lets the company "speedrun" and open immediately once testing is complete, adding "I don't think there's anything to really clarify" about the distinction from medical imaging.
- Despite the wellness positioning, the video "leans heavily on medical language," asking what physicians could do with access to frequent scans taken over time — a tension the company declined to resolve.
- CEO David Holz said Midjourney's lack of investors gives the company freedom to pursue the scanner, stating "No one can tell me not to do it."
Why it matters: By launching as a spa wellness product rather than a diagnostic device, Midjourney sidesteps FDA trials — but its own video keeps invoking medical use cases, leaving unresolved whether the scanner can actually deliver the detailed, radiation-free imaging the company has marketed. The stakes are credibility: an image-generation company is asking patients and physicians to trust unproven hardware built from hacked ultrasound probes and Raspberry Pis.
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