An Embryonic tale

Time-Lapse Embryo Monitoring System (Primo Vision)

Conceive – The Gynaecology and Fertility Hospital, which is always a pioneer in the field of Assisted Reproduction, has introduced a special system of microscopic monitoring of the embryos (time lapse).

The system of microscopic monitoring is the newest development in the field of Assisted Reproduction and is expected to provide important information and answers regarding the embryo development and the possibility of embryo implantation in IVF programmes. This is because we are now able to monitor and record the development of each embryo 24 hours a day! Special cameras are incorporated in the incubators. The embryos are placed in appropriate dishes in the incubators and the system is connected with special lenses. Thus it is not necessary to move the embryos outside of the incubator for monitoring. It is like there is a Close Circuit TV (CCTV) inside the incubator watching the development of each embryo separately, night and day.

The Embryoscope does not have any negative influence on the development of the embryos since the embryos are not affected by the presence of the camera. On the contrary, there are many important advantages like;

• The embryos are handled less and not exposed to external lab conditions. Therefore, there is a constant culture and incubation environment achieving the best quality developing embryos.
• Even more important is the fact that there is a constant and continuous record that allows us to know important details of the cell development such as:
• The exact time between cell division (that is to say how many hours after the fertilization each embryo was at 2, 4, 6 cells, etc.)
• How much time was needed to complete each cell division
• If each cell have divided properly, as well as other very important details that complete the puzzle of embryo development.

It is worth mentioning that these details were impossible to record with the traditional ways of monitoring of the embryos. Up till now, there were secrets which we could not know about and evaluate. The latest scientific literature links these secrets with the viability, the development and implantation of the embryos and gives answers to questions that have always puzzled us, like why a woman could not get pregnant although her embryos appeared to be of good quality.

Each detail of embryo development is analyzed with the aid of special and sophisticated software. This helps in the accurate selection of the most suitable embryo or embryos for the Embryo Transfer, and therefore leads to an increase in the pregnancy rate.

In ‘Conceive’, we have been using this equipment over the last year and have acquiring a lot of experience and has had to a lot of pregnancies. the implementation of this system. This has led to an improvement in the pregnancy rate after IVF.