A new collaboration between a Japanese engineering company and an ob/gyn clinic is offering to scan and print developing fetuses, reports DigInfo.tv. Imaging unborn babies with 3-D ultrasound isn't new, but Fasotec uses an MRI to create the 3-D image and will print out the replica for 100,000 Yen (about $1,250).

The result, a resin model of a white fetus in a clear uterus, teases the boundaries of 3-D printing. With more companies taking advantage of 3-D technology and more hobbyists on the frontier, we can expect to see controversial products like this crop up. Just last week, a working assault weapon created a stir on Thingiverse. The upshot: People can now design and print virtually anything – and they will.

Is a prenatal 3-D model really that much different from a 3-D ultrasound image? The question of what is and isn't an appropriate use of these new tools is here, without an easy answer.

(Via Wired.co.uk)