Monday, June 16, 2008

2001 Space Odyssey Starchild: Your Baby in 4D Ultrasound

Filed under: Art , Ob/Gyn , Radiology

With the intent to make viewing ultrasound images of unborn babies more enjoyable, Royal Philips Electronics is not only providing time-lapsed images of the baby in the mother's womb, but is developing an environment in which you can enjoy this experience. The space is intended to emulate that of a spa and will allow you to view images of your baby on a bubble-like screen.

From Philips:

'Celebrating Pregnancy' is a pregnancy scenario for the future. From conception to childbirth and beyond, bringing a child into the world is both a joy and a challenge. While medical advances have made the experience safer than ever, hospital environments have hardly changed. Mothers (and fathers) are often treated like patients with an illness, rather than parents-to-be. Wouldn't it be wonderful if prenatal care and, in particular, fetal ultrasounds were as comfortable as they are exciting? And what if the entire experience was one that could be shared with the entire family, including the experience of that first view of the baby? If a picture is worth a thousand words, a 4D virtual image with audio is priceless.

A 4-D time-lapse ultrasound image like this may elicit warm emotions as parents distinguish their unborn baby's facial features and fingers for the first time, but the same cannot usually be said about the clinical environment in which such images are created.

Under the slogan "Celebrating Pregnancy," Royal Philips Electronics is intending to transform these "uncomfortable and impersonal" experiences into "a much more playful, enjoyable format for the parents," says Frank Rettenbacher, a product designer for Philips.

Last year, Philips researchers began modeling ultrasound visits after a spa-like experience, complete with ambient lighting and new technologies intended to reduce stress. Images are streamed onto a big, bubble-like screen. With large, clearer images, Rettenbacher says, doctors may be able to "diagnose abnormalities a lot earlier than [they can] today."

Press release of this and other design concepts from Royal Philips Electronics...

(hat tip: bookofjoe)

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