In Japan some clinics have a new service for pregnant women coming in addition to ultrasounds – a 3d-printed model of their fetus!
In the bio-texture modeling, an MRI scanner’s data is translated into a 3D image and sent to a 3d-printer, which then “prints out” the fetal baby!
This is different from bioprinting, which prints synthetic body parts – this is taking an something organic and producing a material copy.
This souvenir idea is definitely something, but what happens to the fetus model? Is it then displayed on a mantel? Or put into a file cabinet with other documents, like the black and white ultrasound pictures of yesteryear? Will it spur jealousy from older children with no fetus-model?
