Japanese Firm 3D Prints Fetus Models

Japanese engineering company Fasotec and Parkside Hiroo Ladies Clinic in Tokyo are offering a new service for expecting parents called Tenshi no Katachi or “Shape of an Angel.” Using a special technology called BioTexture, Fasotec will create a 3D scale reproduction of the client's unborn baby based on CT or MRI scans. The final product is a 7-ounce white resin fetus model in a clear casing that represents the mother's abdomen.

According to Fasotec, three expectant mothers have already tried the service, which costs ¥100,000 or about $1,275, not including the cost of imaging. The company recommends Tenshi no Katachi for mothers who are due soon to get the most detail in their baby's 3D model. Fasotec, which already uses the BioTexture process to create medical models for the health care industry, decided to start Tenshi no Katachi as a spinoff service to “let the public know about this kind of technology.”