日本公司推出3D胎儿模型

Expectant parents in Japan who can't wait to show the world what their baby will look like can now buy a 3D model of the fetus to pass around their friends.

The 3.6-inch resin model of the white foetus, encased in a transparent block in the shape of the mother's body, is fashioned by a 3D printer after an MRI scan.

"As it is only once in a lifetime that you are pregnant with that child, we received requests for these kind of models from pregnant women who... do not want to forget the feelings and experience of that time," said Tomohiro Kinoshita of FASOTEC, the company offering the service.

The "Shape of an Angel", which costs 100,000 yen ($1,200), comes with a miniature version that could be a nice adornment to a mobile phone, he added. Many young women in Japan have decorations attached to their cellphone strap.

The company said the ideal time for a scan is around eight or nine months into the pregnancy.

For those who would like a less pricey version, the company will start offering a 3D model of the face of the foetus at 50,000 yen in December.

It will use ultrasound images taken at a medical clinic in Tokyo that has forged a tie-up with the company.

迫不及待地向大家展示自己宝宝模样的日本准爸准妈们如今可以购买3D胎儿模型，来让亲友一睹为快了。

这种白色的树脂模型长3.6英寸，装在透明的外形为母体的盒子里。孕妇接受核磁共振检查后，该公司可以通过3D打印技术制作胎儿模型。

推出此项服务的FASOTEC公司的Tomohiro Kinoshit说：“你怀上这个孩子在一生中只有这一次， 我们从怀孕的女性那里了解到了这一需求，她们不想忘记怀孕期间的感觉和经历。”

他补充说，“天使模型”费用为10万日元(约合1200美元)。模型的迷你版还能当做手机链。日本很多年轻女性手机链上都系上了装饰物。

该公司表示，进行扫描的理想时间是怀孕八个月或九个月时。

对那些想要低价的人们来说，该公司将在12月开始提供胎儿面部的3D模型，售价为5万日元。

该公司使用东京一家合作诊所的超声影像来制作这种模型。