Evaluation of the safety of time-lapse observations for human embryos

Nakahara, Tsutomu; Iwase, Akira; Goto, Maki; Harata, Toko; Suzuki, Miyabi; Ienaga, Miki; Kobayashi, Harumi; Takikawa, Sachiko; Manabe, Shuichi; Kikkawa, Fumitaka; Ando, Hironori

doi:10.1007/s10815-010-9385-8

Cited by 95 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…They also found a signiicant higher miscarriage rate in the TLS group [13]. These results are in line with other studies, which showed similar results in good quality embryos, embryo development, blastocyst rate, implantation, and ongoing pregnancy rates between customary culture and TLS [14][15][16]. In the same way, in a two-part study, poor-prognosis patients have shown no diferences in Day-3 embryo quality, implantation, and clinical pregnancy rates between embryos cultured in EmbryoScope™ and conventional culture, whereas in the second portion, embryos developed in the EmbryoScope™ revealed signiicantly poorer quality on Day 3 compared to standard-cultured embryos [17].…”

Section: Arguments Against Predictive Value Of Tlssupporting

confidence: 88%

Embryo Morphokinetics Based on Time-Lapse Observation

Tabibnejad¹

2017

Embryo Cleavage

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Embryo incubation and evaluation are critical steps in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Conventionally, embryo assessment has been done by embryologists through removing embryos from a conventional incubator during the culture period. Over recent years, time-lapse systems (TLS) have been established which can take digital images of embryos at key points and time intervals. This technique allows embryologists to assess the embryo quality in the steady culture environment. According to TLS studies and prepared algorithm models, it seems that TLS alone or in combination with conventional morphology can be considered as a useful diagnostic tool to determine high-quality embryos and improve embryonic implantation and pregnancy rates. In addition, there were remarkable diferences between embryo developmental time points and intervals regarding embryo gender, embryo fragmentation, and type of ovarian stimulation protocol. For conident conclusion, time-lapse imaging should be evaluated in further studies, and the system should be evaluated for cost/beneit ratio efectiveness in individual laboratory.Keywords: embryo cleavage, embryo morphokinetics, embryoscope, time-lapse imaging IntroductionAssisted reproductive technology (ART) may help infertile couples to realize their dream to have a child in their family, but pregnancy and live birth rates following in vitro fertilization (IVF) still remain low. It is ideal to identify viable embryos with the highest implantation potential to raise IVF success rates. In the traditional IVF practice, embryo assessments are mainly based on the morphologic observation and grade of embryologists at each stage of oocyte and embryonic development. Some features including oocyte and embryo quality, blastomere numbers and regularity, the percentage of fragmentation, and cytoplasmic granularity have been deined as prognostic indicators of successful pregnancy. This traditional embryo assessment method may have some detrimental efects on embryo growth because frequently opening and closing of incubators often cause to the change of embryo culture environmental steadiness. In order to reduce the inter-and intra-observer diference change, the time-lapse imaging (TLI) has been introduced into in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory. The application of time-lapse technology to the clinical IVF laboratory has supported more detailed observations on the embryo development researches quickly.The aim of this chapter is to determine whether TLI is useful for selection of "top quality" embryos for transfer to improve ART outcome rather than conventional morphological evaluation. The possible correlation between embryos' sex, embryo fragmentation, treatment protocols, diferent culture media, and embryo morphokinetics will be examined based on some new researches of TLI facilities. Furthermore, various algorithms and predictive models designed in ART cycles with TLI will be discussed.

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Section: Arguments Against Predictive Value Of Tlssupporting

confidence: 88%

Embryo Morphokinetics Based on Time-Lapse Observation

Tabibnejad¹

2017

Embryo Cleavage

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“…Nor did we find any differences in clinical pregnancy rate or implantation rate. Though several studies have reported similar development in time-lapse incubators compared to conventional incubators, none of these have been conducted as randomized clinical trials (RCT) [18,24,26,41]. Most reports have been supplementary observations in descriptive studies investigating different aspects of development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Before introducing timelapse monitoring in a clinical setting, the safety of the instrument must therefore be properly documented. Comparisons have been made between embryos, both mouse and human, cultured in conventional incubators and time-lapse instruments, without reports of any adverse effects on development or implantation rate [5,15,18,24,26,32,41]. However, none of the previous studies were conducted as randomized clinical trials and the included human embryos derived from oocyte donor cycles [5] may not be representative of embryos from infertile couples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A randomized clinical trial comparing embryo culture in a conventional incubator with a time-lapse incubator

Kirkegaard

Hindkjær

Grøndahl

et al. 2012

J Assist Reprod Genet

130

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Purpose Time-lapse monitoring allows for a flexible embryo evaluation and potentially provides new dynamic markers of embryo competence. Before introducing timelapse monitoring in a clinical setting, the safety of the instrument must be properly documented. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of a commercially available time-lapse incubator. Methods In a two center, randomized, controlled, clinical trial 676 oocytes from 59 patients in their 2nd or third treatment cycle, age <38 years and ≥8 oocytes retrieved were cultured in the time-lapse incubator or in a conventional incubator. The primary outcome was proportion of 4-cell embryos on day 2. Secondary outcomes were proportion of 7-8 cell embryos on day 3 and proportion of blastocysts on day 5. Implantation pregnancy rates were registered based on presence of fetal heart activity visualized by ultrasound 8 weeks after embryo transfer. Results No significant difference was found between the time-lapse incubator (TLI) and conventional incubator (COI) in proportion of 4-cell embryos on day 2 irrespective of whether data was analyzed according to ITT (RR TLI/COI : 0.81 (0.65; 1.02)) or PP (RR TLI/COI : 0.80 (0.63; 1.01)). Nor were any significant differences detected in the secondary endpoints; i.e. proportion of 7-8-cell embryos on day three ITT (RR TLI/COI : 0.96 (0.73; 1.26)); PP (RR TLI/COI : 0.95 (0.72; 1.26)) and proportion of blastocysts on day five ITT (RR TLI/COI : 1.09 (0.84; 1.41)); PP (RR TLI/COI : 1.09 (0.83: 1.41)). We found no differences in clinical pregnancy rate or implantation rate. Conclusion Culture in the time-lapse incubator supports embryonic development equally to a conventional incubator.

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“…With the rapidly spreading use of time-lapse observations, especially on human embryos in fertility clinics, it is important to investigate, whether light exposure for image recording affects or even compromises the embryo's developmental competence. Different measures based on studies of animal model embryos have already been implemented to minimize light exposure of visible [15] or longer wavelength light [2,15,16], and in combination with sensitive camera systems it is possible to obtain high quality images for evaluation without disadvantages on embryonic development and quality [17]. Microscopy typically works with visible light (380-700 nm), where wavelengths <500-550 nm are regarded as harmful to the development and quality of mammalian embryos [2,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of red light on the development and quality of mammalian embryos

Pedersen

Liu

et al. 2014

J Assist Reprod Genet

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Purpose To assess irradiance and total energy dose from different microscopes during the in-vitro embryonic developmental cycle in mouse and pig and to evaluate its effect on embryonic development and quality in pig. Method Spectral scalar irradiance (380-1050 nm) was measured by a fiber-optic microsensor in the focal plane of a dissection microscope, an inverted microscope and a timelapse incubation system. Furthermore, the effect of three different red light levels was tested in the time-lapse system on mouse zygotes for 5 days, and on porcine zona-intact and zona-free parthenogenetically activated (PA) embryos for 6 days. Results The time-lapse system used red light centered at 625 nm and with a lower irradiance level as compared to the white light irradiance levels on the dissection and inverted microscopes, which included more energetic radiation <550 nm. Even after 1000 times higher total energy dose of red light exposure in the time-lapse system, no significant difference was found neither in blastocyst development of mouse zygotes nor in blastocyst rates and total cell number of blastocysts of porcine PA embryos. Conclusions Our results indicate that red light (625 nm, 0.34 W/ m 2 ) used in the time-lapse incubation system does not decrease the development and quality of blastocysts in both mouse zygotes and porcine PA embryos (both zona-intact and zona-free).

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Evaluation of the safety of time-lapse observations for human embryos

Cited by 95 publications

References 21 publications

Embryo Morphokinetics Based on Time-Lapse Observation

Embryo Morphokinetics Based on Time-Lapse Observation

A randomized clinical trial comparing embryo culture in a conventional incubator with a time-lapse incubator

Effect of red light on the development and quality of mammalian embryos

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