3-D Fetus Sculpture

Just when you thought medical imaging had run out of novelty ideas, here we have yet another way to put a dent in your credit card courtesy of the Japanese: The 3-D Trophy Fetus!  In Japan, you can purchase a miniature resin replica of your intrauterine fetus rendered by a 3-D printer for only 1,250 dollars.  Currently, the technique involves a 3-D MRI of the gravid uterus rendered into the sculpture.  Can a 3-D ultrasound be far behind?

So, you’ve been trying for quite a while, and the delightful news arrives that soon you will have a small, squishy hybrid of you and your partner for your very own.

In glee, you go for a scan, clutch the ultrasound image to your heart –and probably immediately upload it to Facebook.

But what if you could have a 3D model of your growing bundle of joy?

In Japan, this dream is now a reality due to three dimensional printing technology. Japanese firm Fasotec, in collaboration with Parkside Hiroo Ladies Clinic in Mintao-ku, Tokyo, have come up with a product to fill this niche for, er, consumer demand — and have called it “Shape of the Angel”.

Thanks Sonoworld and SmartPlanet

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/printing-takes-a-creepy-turn-a-3d-replica-of-your-fetus/28092