Is an artificial womb feasible?

Does the following progression/collection of technologies make sense on the way to an artificial womb? The central assumption to this question is that the female body is a delicate, complicated machine that produces a functional human being. And if a machine, then it can be duplicated.

These are in no particular order.

1. Ultrasound fetal heartbeat monitor (already exists but included for completeness)
2. Implantable blood chemistry monitor for mother
3. Method for placental monitoring (non-invasive preferable)
4. Cheap genome sequencing
5. Big-Data analysis of blood chemistry monitor matched with genome sequencing
6. Rapid transplantation of fetus from womb into an artificial womb. (Useful in the event of an accident or illness to the mother).
7. Chemical duplication of mother's and baby's hormones.
8. Creation of a viable artificial placenta

I realize that there's a ton of scientific research that will need to be done on all of these technologies/techniques before an artificial womb carries acceptably low risks to be used by the population at large. Please take a clinical perspective when answering. Discussion of cultural changes, or existence of the soul are not in scope.

posted about 9 years ago

Green‭

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