Marvoto’s Handheld Ultrasound Camera

Hong Kong-based Marvoto Technology (the company name is a combination of Marvelous and Photo) wants to give expecting parents the chance to start taking pictures of their baby even before it is born, via an ultrasound-based fetus camera it exhibited a working prototype of in the recent Hong Kong Electronics Fair’s Startup Zone.

The Marvoto Model M1 handheld device uses a medical-grade volumetric imaging lens and provides image capture depth of 16cm (around six inches), taking a series of cross-section views that are constructed into a full three-dimensional image of the baby and via an app, and then records the image to a smartphone or tablet. The app offers cloud storage of the images, and simplified sharing capability.

The scan is of low-intensity 15-second duration, emits no radiation, is not designed to be of diagnostic value, says the company. The device is powered with a lithium-ion battery, and has a projected suggested retail price of $2,200. It is expected to be made available by the end of 2018 or the start of 2019, said Adam Chan, the company’s spokesperson