What is an Embryoscope?
It is an incubator that incorporates time-lapse technology, which can be viewed directly on the incubator screen and maintains a stable environment with optimum gas and temperature conditions for the embryos to develop in.
Like other IVF clinics, the Agora uses embryo selection methods to help improve the chances of implantation so that patients have the best chance of having a healthy baby.
Best practice techniques have meant examining the developing embryos under a microscope at least once a day, for several days; this has involved briefly removing them from the incubator where they are kept.
Although conventional incubators achieve excellent results, investment in the Embryoscope now means there is an alternative to this proven technique, which can be particularly helpful for women who have had one or more failed cycles using the conventional incubator
How does an Embryoscope work?
Due to its state-of-the-art technology it ensures a stable culture environment for embryo development and with its small incubation chambers it allows rapid recovery of culture conditions after the door has been opened. In addition, embryo development can be visualised directly on the incubator screen as well as the computer, so there is no need to remove the embryos from the incubator to monitor their development, so culture conditions are un-interrupted.
The Embryoscope™ will automatically acquire images of the developing embryo at defined intervals from multiple focal planes, which when combined generates a time-lapse video. Due to the quality of the images produced it enables key morphological observations to be made on cell visition. Enhanced information provided by the Embryoscope™ helps the embryologist with the selection of the embryo for transfer and freezing.
Embryoscope benefits
- May help improve implantation and live birth rates – as it improves your chances of transferring the most viable embryo. Information of the time lapse aid embryo selection.
- Provides a sealed closed environment for the embryos to develop with no disturbances as the embryos aren’t required to be removed from their incubator for routine morphological assessment. Undisturbed embryo culture contributes towards improved embryo quality.
- You may take home a picture or a video with the recording of the development of the selected embryo.
