Embryoscope – Does It Really Help IVF Patients?

IVF is a popular infertility treatment. This involves retrieving eggs from the woman’s ovaries, using them to create an embryo with a sperm sample and then transferring the embryo back to the woman’s uterus. The creating and development of an embryo is done in an incubator that mimics the conditions of a woman’s uterus. A high tech incubator known as an embryoscope is the latest innovation in IVF.

What is an Embryoscope

An embryoscope is a high-tech incubator that allows embryologists to monitor the embryo development without needing to remove them from the incubator. This incubator provides the ideal environmental conditions for the embryo to develop outside the uterus. Most embryos reach the desired stage of development for transfer within 3-5 days in the incubator.

The embryoscope takes photographs of the embryo at regular 5-minute intervals. These images are then strung together to form a time lapse video. This video helps the embryologist monitor the development of the embryo without having to take it out of the incubator. Thus, it minimizes the risk of damage. For this reason, embryoscope success rates are typically higher than traditional IVF success rates.

An embryoscope also allows doctors to see every stage of development and identify growth patterns. Thereby, aiding the embryologist in selecting the ideal embryo for transfer based on both morphology and kinetics. Thus, the information provided by the time-lapse video makes it easier to identify the embryo with the highest implantation potential.

Who can benefit from an Embryoscope?

Not all patients undergoing IVF need their embryos to be developed in an embryoscope. This is usually advised only to couples who have a large number of healthy embryos to choose from or have had multiple miscarriage or implantation failure. Your doctor will be the best person to advise you on whether or not you can benefit from this.