TORONTO – A U.S. medical technology company that specializes in the development of synthetic human and animal models is celebrating a “world first” – the launch of the “SynFrog” a replacement for the usual formalin-preserved specimens used in classroom dissections.
Students at J.W. Mitchell High School in the Pasco County School District in Florida dissected nearly 100 of the synthetic frogs last week to launch the product.
SynDaver, known for its hyper-realistic human and animal models used in medical education and surgical simulation – seen in shows like Grey’s Anatomy – developed the SynFrog with animal rights organization PETA, according to their press release.
“The SynFrog mimics the visual and textural properties of a live female frog,” the release reads. “The frog features a synthetic skeleton, synthetic muscles along with highly realistic synthetic skin and organs, including a reproductive system with eggs.”
SynDaver says the frogs are “physically safer” for students to use in dissections because it “doesn’t contain potentially harmful chemicals like formalin.”
The company says its SynFrog can be reused and “provides a solution to an ethical problem that has plagued educators for decades.
