(Yicai Global) July 17 -- Cyrcadia Asia, a startup developing smart breast cancer detection devices, has bagged CNY25 million (USD3.8 million) in pre-A funding led by Chinese tech giant Iflytek.

The money will help the company launch in Hong Kong and other Asian markets this year, and provide a foundation for its A-round this quarter, online news site The Paper reported. The firm penned license deals with United States-based Cyrcadia Health to produce and distribute the devices -- patches worn by women for two hours a month that let them monitor the health of their breasts via a mobile application.

Iflytek is the biggest artificial intelligence firm listed in China, and began its foray into healthcare in 2016. Dr. Tao Xiaodong, an expert with medical imaging and computer-aided diagnosis experience at Philips Healthcare and GE Healthcare, founded the department and is set to become a director at Cyrcadia Asia.

The patches detect cancer by observing metabolic changes, Tao said. This makes up for shortcoming in current imaging technologies and human interpretation, and provides a convenient way for women to monitor their health. The increasing number of users could make the service the largest breast health incidence database, and provide information for research into cancer preventions and treatments, he added.

Iflytek took quickly to the healthcare sector, and in November 2017 its AI robot Xiaoyi passed the national medical exam, the test required to qualify as a doctor in China. The bot scored 456 points, 96 more than the pass mark. The company now runs AI services at more than 50 hospitals in its home province an Anhui, helping doctors to diagnose and treat diseases and interpret medical images.