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Invited on Friday, October 23, by the Territorial Collectivity, Dr. Alexandre Saint-Vincent Villeneuve visited the Medical-Social Center (CMS) to present an innovative portable ultrasound machine equipped with artificial intelligence. This technology, which costs 15,000 euros and is currently under consideration, could transform the healthcare journey for women on the island by enabling early, pain-free screening.
With Pink October in full swing, the timing couldn’t have been better. On Friday, October 23, key players in the island’s healthcare system—including representatives from Bruyn Hospital, the Regional Health Agency (ARS), the Community Health Center, and local physicians—gathered at the CMS to discover a technology poised to be a game-changer: a small, portable scanner powered by artificial intelligence and developed by the company PW (Power Woman), led by Canadian researcher Alexandre Saint-Vincent Villeneuve.
Immediate Diagnosis
In practical terms, the device takes the form of a tiny, wireless ultrasound scanner that is easy to move around. “It takes 100 images in three separate scans—a total of 300 images—which are sent directly to a smartphone in just a few seconds,” explains the researcher. Painless and usable without extensive medical training (by nurses or midwives), the device relies on built-in AI to analyze tissue and immediately indicate whether a suspicious lesion is present.
The main goal? To detect the disease at “stage 0” or “stage 1,” well before the first symptoms or metastases appear. “Early detection is the key. When cancer is detected at this stage, the survival rate is up to 99 percent, and often a simple one-day procedure is all that’s needed, without the need for chemotherapy,” emphasizes Dr. Saint-Vincent Villeneuve.
Toward Greater Medical Autonomy
Beyond the technical feat, this technology directly addresses the challenges of isolation and access to care. Today, France’s national screening program targets only women aged 50 to 74. However, cancers are appearing at increasingly younger ages. “The idea is to bring the technology closer to women, starting at age 30 or 40. Instead of waiting for them to go to the hospital, we bring the tool as close to them as possible,” he explains.
Already deployed in a few clinics in the Philippines, Japan, and Canada—and expected to be introduced in French Guiana by 2027—the innovation was very well received by healthcare providers and local elected officials during this morning’s presentation at the Medical-Social Center. According to Alexandre Saint-Vincent Villeneuve, discussions are already well underway and looking promising.
In terms of cost, the equipment is very affordable for institutions: approximately 15,000 euros per unit, compared to several hundred thousand euros for a traditional mammography facility. “This is not a replacement for the care pathway or the role of doctors, but a tremendous tool for making healthcare more accessible and for prevention,” the researcher concluded.
