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Eurofertil IVF Center
Eurofertil IVF Center
Treatment Methods

What is an "Embryoscope"?

7 min read

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To provide our patients with world-class service and maintain our increasing success rate, we follow all the proven innovations in IVF treatment. We are the first center in Bursa to successfully use the 'Embryoscope,' one of the most important developments in recent years. The Embryoscope marks a new era in IVF treatment.

The Embryoscope allows us to select the highest quality embryo from among those developed in our embryology laboratory, and also increases live birth rates by ensuring embryos are cultured in a more stable and secure environment.

Using the Embryoscope requires expertise and knowledge. Our team, highly experienced in morphokinetic evaluation, which is very different from classical embryo assessments, successfully uses this method.

What is an Embryoscope?

An embryoscope is a system in an embryology laboratory that allows embryos to be safely cultured and their development monitored 24/7.

During IVF treatment, embryos are monitored in devices called 'incubators' that mimic the mother's womb. To check the development of the embryos, they are removed from the incubator daily and examined under a microscope. These checks are necessary for selecting the embryo with the highest chance of pregnancy. Although the embryology laboratory environment is very special, there is a possibility that the embryo's development may be harmed during external examinations. Furthermore, it is not possible to detect changes and developments in the embryos outside of the examination hours.

Unlike traditional incubators, the embryoscope contains a camera system that continuously observes the embryos. Thanks to this camera system, photographs of the embryos are taken at 7 different levels every 15 minutes, and these photographs are combined to create a video, which is then saved on a computer. Thus, the entire developmental process of the embryos in the laboratory can be monitored without any exposure to the external environment and without missing any moment.

Therefore, compared to classic incubators, EmbryoScope offers significant advantages in both the development and selection of embryos that will yield a higher pregnancy rate. 

What are the Advantages of EmbryoScope?

  • Selecting the right embryo and thus monitoring embryo development is crucial in increasing the probability of pregnancy. Embryo development is a very rapid and dynamic process, showing variations within hours. To monitor these stages, embryos are removed from culture incubators with constant 37°C, 6% CO2, and 5% N2 levels and checked under a microscope at specific intervals. However, frequently removing and checking embryos from the incubator can also affect embryo quality. Therefore, it is not possible to monitor the entire developmental stages of embryos incubated in standard incubators, and evaluations of embryos are made only based on information obtained from instantaneous microscopic images. 

  • Embryoscope, a new incubator system developed to monitor embryos without exposing them to the external environment, provides a reliable culture medium for embryos while its camera system allows embryologists to continuously monitor the embryos and select the correct one. 

  • Furthermore, Embryoscope not only helps select the right embryo but also assists in identifying and excluding embryo anomalies that we cannot detect with standard assessments, such as slow division, abnormal division, direct trinucleation, or multinucleation, which can negatively affect pregnancy rates.

  • To date, a significant amount of data has been collected on embryos monitored using the embryoscope, and much new information has been obtained about embryos through the analysis of this data. Recently, efforts have been made to create embryo selection systems that also utilize artificial intelligence in embryo selection. As a result of these studies, embryos can be selected completely automatically by a computer. 

  • The embryoscope device assists embryologists and IVF specialists in determining the appropriate day for embryo transfer thanks to embryo quality data.

  • The embryos are prevented from being exposed to white light throughout their development.

  • The timing of embryo division can be precisely determined, and these time intervals can be used in embryo selection.

  • Creating stable conditions for embryo development, with an environment that mimics the mother's womb, ensures the highest level of protection for the embryos.

  • The ambient air remains clean because it is constantly filtered.

  • Since the embryo's development is recorded as a video in a computer environment, it can be viewed repeatedly, and even allows for evaluation by several embryologists together.

  • As a result of all this, using EmbryoScope increases your chances of pregnancy.

We particularly recommend embryoscope to patients with recurrent pregnancy loss, low ovarian reserve due to advanced age, or recurrent IVF failures.

We also use it to determine the optimal time for biopsy in patients undergoing genetic analysis. For trophectoderm biopsy, the blastocyst must reach a certain stage. Instead of constantly exposing the blastocyst to external conditions, we can monitor it more effectively using the embryoscope, allowing us to determine the correct biopsy time.

We recommend the use of Embryoscope to all our patients because it provides a very stable environment for embryo development and helps in selecting healthier embryos with a higher probability of pregnancy.

What is the Cost of Using an Embryoscope?

In Embryoscope applications, special petri dishes are used to culture the embryo. Furthermore, the Embryoscope undergoes periodic maintenance by a technical team from abroad. Embryo images and information belonging to patients are stored using a software system, which is updated periodically by the company. All these procedures incur a cost. Due to this high cost associated with using an Embryoscope, it is not used in many IVF centers.

Due to legal regulations, we unfortunately cannot share the ‘Embryoscope Usage Price’ here. For detailed information or to make an appointment, you can call us anytime at +902242515000 or via our WhatsApp line at +905308865263.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Embryoscope?

EmbryoScope is a specialized incubator system used in IVF treatment that allows embryos to develop under controlled culture conditions while simultaneously enabling monitoring of their development at specific intervals. Thanks to time-lapse imaging technology, the development of embryos can be continuously monitored.

What is the difference between an EmbryoScope and a normal incubator?

In traditional methods, embryos may need to be removed from the incubator at certain times to evaluate their development under a microscope. In EmbryoScope, however, the camera system inside the device images the embryos at specific intervals. Thus, the development of embryos can be monitored without removing them from the culture medium, and embryologists can have more information about the entire developmental process instead of just snapshots.

Does EmbryoScope increase the chance of pregnancy?

EmbryoScope helps monitor embryos under more stable culture conditions and allows for detailed evaluation of embryo development. However, the success of IVF treatment does not depend solely on the incubator used. Many factors, such as the woman's age, ovarian reserve, sperm and embryo characteristics, uterine structure, and the chromosomal status of the transferred embryo, affect success. 

How to select the best embryo with Embryoscope?

Embryoscope allows recording of the timing of cell divisions and some important changes in the developmental process of the embryo. Embryologists can evaluate this morphokinetic data together with the morphological characteristics of the embryo to obtain additional information in determining suitable embryos for transfer or freezing.

Does Embryoscope harm the embryo?

One of the important features of the Embryoscope system is that embryos can be monitored without the need to frequently remove them from the incubator for evaluation purposes. This ensures that the embryos remain in controlled environmental conditions such as temperature and gas concentration during the culture period.

Who is Embryoscope recommended for?

Embryoscope can be used in different patient groups. It can be particularly useful in IVF applications where a detailed evaluation of the embryo's developmental process is desired. It may also be preferred by the treatment team in some patients with recurrent IVF failure, recurrent pregnancy loss, or those for whom genetic testing of embryos is planned. The necessity of its use should be evaluated according to the patient's characteristics.

Can Embryoscope identify a genetically healthy embryo?

No. Embryoscope displays embryonic development and cell division characteristics, but it does not definitively prove that the embryo is chromosomally normal. Genetic testing methods such as PGT-A can be used when evaluating the embryo's chromosomes.

Can embryos be monitored 24 hours a day with Embryoscope?

Yes. Thanks to the time-lapse imaging system, the development of embryos is recorded at specific intervals throughout the culture period. These images can then be viewed as a video, allowing for a detailed evaluation of the embryo's developmental process.

Can Embryoscope be used on embryos undergoing PGT-A?

Yes. Embryos undergoing PGT-A are usually biopsied when they reach the blastocyst stage. Because Embryoscope helps monitor embryonic development without removing it from the incubator, it can provide the embryologist with additional information in assessing whether the blastocyst has reached a suitable developmental stage for biopsy.



 

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