"Silicone womb" enters human testing in the UK

In-vitro fertilization may soon become much more effective, if a new device dubbed the "silicone womb" comes out of testing successfully. Currently test-tube embryos are developed in an incubator, but the .2-inch long silicone womb, produced by Anecova, allows them to be implanted inside the mother for up to four days, during which time they're exposed to the uterus through 360 40-micron holes. The goal is to develop stronger, more resilient embryos for eventual pregnancy, but a small test in Belgium has so far proven inconclusive as to the device's effectiveness -- and some researchers doubt it'll work at all, since the embryos will be located in the uterus rather than the fallopian tubes where they would naturally develop. Still, there's hope that the environment inside the uterus will be an effective substitute -- to quote one researcher, "it's a lot closer to a fallopian tube than a plastic tray." 40 women are signed up for testing starting today, but results aren't expected for some time.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 2:20PM]

So this is how the Borg started

[Kurian @ Feb 28th 2008 8:36AM]

So this is wat Arnold did in Junior.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Feb 27th 2008 2:22PM]

So they're trying to make ALL of women's fun parts out of silicon . . .

[Joshua @ Feb 27th 2008 2:34PM]

It's only .2-inch long... are you trying to imply something?

[Flashpoint @ Feb 27th 2008 2:42PM]

All it needs is a gynoid body to hold it and an electronic warmer and ALL WOMEN EVERYWHERE WILL BE OBSOLETE.


I actually had a nightmare about this. I don't know if anyone saw MARY 25 or VICKIE 23 on "The Outer Limits" but what if there was a fembot who wanted to be a real woman so badly that it went haywire and started killing women and taking their organs in hopes that it would have a child of its own.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 3:20PM]

All your babies are belong to us

[John @ Feb 27th 2008 3:28PM]

How much fun have YOU ever had in a uterus?

[Jonathan-DBOSS @ Feb 27th 2008 5:56PM]

lulz, p3do

Beat it!

[jroc @ Feb 27th 2008 2:32PM]

Silicon valley

[jroc @ Feb 27th 2008 2:32PM]

Silicon valley

[Richard @ Feb 27th 2008 2:35PM]

So... who gets to insert it?

[Nando @ Feb 27th 2008 2:38PM]

What a weird title. Let's change the order of some of the words, shall we?

- Human testing the silicon womb enters in UK
- In the UK testing silicon womb enters human
- The UK human in silicon womb enters testing
- Human testing in the UK enters silicon womb
- Silicon human enters the UK in testing womb

I gotta lay off the Starbucks...

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 2:52PM]

in Soviet Russia, silicon womb enter *you*

[Ellianth @ Feb 27th 2008 6:02PM]

what a pretty picture :D (your avatar)

[Blaktornado @ Feb 27th 2008 2:51PM]

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO POST PICTURES OF THINGS HALF OF US WILL NEVER SEE IN OUR LIVES!? THE TORTURE! THE TORTURE!

[looseinthedeuce @ Feb 27th 2008 2:57PM]

...what picture is causing you torture? You're upset you'll never see a silicon womb? Or is it torture to never see fallopian tubes? I'm guessing far less than half the people reading this will ever see either one.

Honestly though, I didn't think the conversation on an engadget board would ever mention fallopian tubes.

[Blaktornado @ Feb 27th 2008 3:00PM]

There's a vagina >.>

[m @ Feb 27th 2008 3:23PM]

even the biggest losers here have seen one of these at least once. but for them, let's be clear: there is not a lot of "fun" happening in the uterus itself. take it slow, boys.

[Blaktornado @ Feb 27th 2008 3:39PM]

I'm big loser and I've never seen one...



aheh... uh...


Whew. All this talk of vaginas and taking it slow reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECI3SxwF4wA

[looseinthedeuce @ Feb 27th 2008 3:39PM]

Apparently you actually haven't ever seen one, 'cause that's not quite what they look like. A cross-sectioned view of an ACTUAL vagina is probably something you WOULDN'T want to see.

[m @ Feb 27th 2008 6:35PM]

all kidding aside, you're not getting it: it's not a vagina. it's a uterus, aka the womb. you don't have sex with the womb. and you've definitely been in one, if only as a fetus. if not, i for one welcome you, master.

[L.Rawlins @ Feb 27th 2008 2:58PM]

Ah yes, the Foetus Transfer Protocol. Also useful for file transit... apparently.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 3:01PM]

That's definitely going in my top-10 list of things to say to a woman to guarantee no sex ever

[L.Rawlins @ Feb 27th 2008 3:19PM]

I guess it depends on how big your upload is.

[skyshard @ Feb 27th 2008 3:11PM]

*silicone
(according to the graphic at Anecova's website)
Silicon would seem rather.. painful. and silicone makes more sense anyways

http://www.anecova.com/Invivo/technology.html

[OneLove @ Feb 27th 2008 3:11PM]

will it play doom?

[Blaktornado @ Feb 27th 2008 6:14PM]

You had to go and spoil this comment page's continuous record of Highest Ranks and Neutrals with your dull memes, didn't you?

[OneLove @ Feb 28th 2008 11:36AM]

lol

[seth @ Feb 27th 2008 3:17PM]

ahem.

"Im in UR yooterus makin ur babees!"

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 3:18PM]

but can the infant play hax0red guitar hero?

[ECastro @ Feb 27th 2008 3:33PM]

Will it blend?

[kevin_ho @ Feb 27th 2008 3:38PM]

I wonder what percent of americans will think this is unethical...

[DT @ Feb 27th 2008 4:21PM]

What could *possibly* be unethical about this? No one argues about the ethics of in-vitro fertilization and subsequent implantation. This simply makes one step of the process more "natural"...instead of the embryo developing in a plastic tray, it develops in the uterus. Then they remove the embryo and implant it as usual.

[kevin_ho @ Feb 27th 2008 4:25PM]

I was referring to a previous engadget post
http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/20/two-thirds-of-americans-think-nanotechnology-is-morally-unaccept/

[DT @ Feb 27th 2008 4:41PM]

Ah, OK, the "tiny things are unethical" angle. Got it. I thought you were referring to Americans' unease at anything having to do with sperm and/or eggs.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 5:31PM]

actually anything that aids in conception should make the fundies deliriously happy i'd imagine. but then again when has consistency ever stopped em?

[Mr. S. @ Feb 27th 2008 3:44PM]

[witty and ironic comment]

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 3:49PM]

as long as it's made by Dwight Schrute imitating Jim

[customjmn @ Feb 27th 2008 3:46PM]

EngadgetAnatomy FTW!

[Dave @ Feb 27th 2008 3:55PM]

Silicone parts are made for toys.

[Adán @ Feb 27th 2008 5:47PM]

Frank Herbert was right!

[Jonathan-DBOSS @ Feb 27th 2008 6:01PM]

URANUS edition.

[Zac @ Feb 27th 2008 8:39PM]

I keep saying the UK is the place to be right now, but nobody listens.

Time to expatriate!

[Elisha Adeagbo @ Feb 27th 2008 9:56PM]

ok...

[Randall @ Feb 27th 2008 10:39PM]

Little bit of a typo...Silicon not Silicone

[TheSmileMan @ Feb 27th 2008 11:06PM]

"but results aren't expected for some time."

I'd say quality results aren't to be expected for at least nine months. :0)

[Matt @ Feb 28th 2008 2:24PM]

Yay, a "womb with a view"