EMBRYOSCOPE
In order to provide a world-class service to our patients and to continue our increasing success we follow all the new and proven innovations in IVF technology. Embryoscope, one of the most important recent developments in the IVF field, has been used in our clinic since it was first available. Leading in innovation worldwide, our clinic was one of the first to successfully utilize the embryoscope.
Embryoscope is a system that monitors whether embryos were successfully incubated in the embryology lab. The development of embryos is monitored in a device called incubator that mimics the conditions in the uterus. However, unlike traditional incubators where the embryos must be manually checked under microscope, the embryoscope is equipped with a camera system that continuously monitors the embryos inside. This camera system takes images of the embryo on 7 different levels every 10 minutes, and compiles them in a video. This allows the entire development process of the embryo to be observed without missing any events.
Why Embryoscope?
Why do we need the Embryoscope?
In traditional IVF treatment embryos are periodically taken out of the incubators they are cultured in and checked under microscope in order to monitor their development and select the most suitable embryo. However, since exposing the embryo to an outside environment can have a negative effect on its quality, embryos are only taken out of the incubators on certain days. Embryoscope, on the other hand, provides the healthiest protection for embryos with its device structure imitating the mother's womb while its integrated camera system allows 24/7 observation of embryo development without any exposure to the outside environment.
Why is Embryoscope important?
Choosing the right embryo and thus monitoring the embryo development is critical in increasing the chance of pregnancy. Embryo development is a very fast and dynamic process that can change dramatically within hours. In order to track these developments, embryos are periodically taken out of their culture incubators they are kept in and checked under a microscope. However, taking embryos out of their culture exposes them to outside environments, which can have an adverse effect on their development. This limits the frequency at which the embryos can be observed to once per day. Therefore it is not possible to observe the entirety of the embryo development process using standard incubators and embryo evaluation has to be done only with the information obtained from instant microscope images.
Embryoscope is an improved incubator system developed with the purpose of monitoring embryos without exposing them to the outside environment. While it provides a safe culture environment for the embryo, the embryoscope can constantly and safely monitor the embryo with an integrated camera system. This reduces the time between every embryo check from once every day to once every 10 minutes, which tremendously helps the embryo selection process.
Not only does the embryoscope allow for better monitoring of embryo selection criteria, but it also allows the detection of embryo anomalies that are otherwise not detectable by standard observation methods. These anomalies such as slow division, abnormal cell division, direct division to 3 cells and multinucleation have adverse effects on pregnancy rates and embryoscope allows us to detect and discard the embryos with such anomalies. For example, in the study published by Dr E. Ergin in 2014, it was determined that 90% of blastomere multinucleation (the condition of having more than one nucleus in the cell), which has an adverse effect on pregnancy rates, could not be detected in standard observations.
Vast amounts of data were created to date from constantly observing embryos in embryoscopes, and analyzing this data has given embryologists new insight into embryos. Currently embryo selection systems utilizing artifical intelligence are being developed. In the future computer programs will be able to autonomously select suitable embryos.
We specifically recommend embryoscope to patients who have low ovarian reserve due to age and patients with repeated IVF failures.
The embryoscope device grants embryologists and IVF specialists with a plethora of tools that helps them increase IVF success rate:
-Embryo quality data for deciding on which day the embryo transfer should be made.
-Advanced microscopic camera system that can record every change.
-Accurately detecting embryo division times.
-Completely preventing embryo contact with white light during its development.
-Keeping ambient air constantly clean.
-Recording the development of the embryo, allowing it to be followed repeatedly and even evaluated together by several embryologists.
With the embryoscope we can watch the development of embryos like a movie, so we can detect quality embryos more easily and increase your chances of pregnancy.