IHU-Developed mAI Companion® to Revolutionize Pancreatic Cancer Detection
Published: 17 Mar 2026
Author: Precedence Research
A significant advancement in the battle against pancreatic cancer has been achieved with the mAI Companion® medical device, which utilizes AI for pancreatic endoscopic ultrasound. It has received CE mark under the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and is now available for clinical use in Europe through Medi-Globe.
Bridging the Gap: mAI Companion® as a Catalyst for Medical Innovation
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal and difficult cancers to detect, with early lesion identification posing a major challenge that affects prognosis and outcomes. The mAI Companion® was created to tackle this critical issue.
According to Precedence Research, the AI in Endoscopy Market size accounted for USD 2.14 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 2.70 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 21.65 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 26.04% from 2026 to 2035 driven by the need for higher diagnostic accuracy, the integration of advanced technologies, and a surging demand for minimally invasive procedures.
Integrated into the endoscopist’s workflow, the mAI Companion® serves as a real-time intelligent assistant aimed at enhancing examination quality and pancreatic lesion detection through several features:
- Continuous anatomical guidance for thorough pancreatic coverage.
- Immediate visual confirmation for lesion detection.
- Monitoring of examination thoroughness, showing time spent on each pancreatic section (head, body, tail).
- Image and video recording capabilities for documentation and reporting.
IHU Strasbourg & Medi-Globe: A Strategic Alliance for Future Medicine
The mAI Companion® adventure is a great example of IHU Strasbourg's mission to speed up the transfer of innovations to patients. The research project started in 2021, with crucial funding from the ARC Foundation for Cancer Research, led by Dr. Leonardo Sosa-Valencia, an expert in ultrasound endoscopy, and Prof. Nicolas Padoy, who heads the "CAMMA – Computational Analysis and Modeling of Medical Activities" team at the IHU. In 2022, the IHU formed a research and development partnership with the German company Medi-Globe to develop a prototype, which was later transferred in 2023 to iGlobe Scientific, the joint venture created by the IHU Strasbourg and Medi-Globe to accelerate product development. This achievement shows the IHU’s ability to meet medical needs by combining medical and scientific excellence with advanced industrial skills.
A recent report by Precedence Research highlights that the AI in Endoscopy market is benefiting from the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with imaging technologies, and providing real-time computer-aided detection (CADe) and diagnosis (CADx).