Causes & Treatment
How Can Assisted Reproductive Technology Help Me Get Pregnant?
Eloise Edington | 24 May 2022
Assisted Reproductive Technology has progressed rapidly since the first IVF baby was conceived over 40 years ago. Today, different types of assisted reproductive technology are used for different purposes to give embryologists a vast array of detailed information about gametes and embryos.
Each development of assisted reproductive technology is accompanied by many benefits for intended parents: monitoring embryos in real-time, selecting an embryo with the most potential for implantation and pregnancy, genetic testing for inherited conditions – and so many more advantages.
At FHH, we know that understanding how assisted reproductive technology works – and the purposes of different types of ART – can empower intended parents during fertility treatment. So, we’ve turned to our partners at iGin in Spain. iGin is one of the leading assisted reproduction fertility clinics in Spain with impressive IVF success rates (visit their profile here and website here).
Read on to learn about exciting fertility advancements and how iGin harnesses this assisted reproductive technology in the fertility treatment they provide.
Over to iGin…
Scientific and technological advances are fundamental in the field of assisted reproduction. The main advantage of assisted reproductive technology is that they allow fertility treatment to be perfected and thanks to this, in just a few years, pregnancy rates have increased remarkably. This is the reason why fertility clinics such as iGin are committed to being at the forefront of assisted reproduction technology.
First of all, you should know that the new incubators that incorporate artificial intelligence embryo selection systems are the future of assisted reproduction technology. Among them, the Embrysocope+ stands out: a state-of-the-art incubator that provides the best possible environment for embryos obtained in IVF treatments, helping them develop and reach the blastocyst stage. Its design ensures that the conditions in the incubation chamber are completely stable and controlled (at all times) by a team of embryologists.
Thanks to a time-lapse image capture system, Embryoscope+ allows embryologists to monitor and have full control over the evolution of the embryos from the moment both gametes meet to the embryo transfer. All this without having to remove them from the incubator, thus avoiding altering the temperature, humidity and lighting conditions of the culture. With this real-time monitoring, we can choose the embryos with the greatest potential for successful implantation and pregnancy.
Embryologists are also able to identify: whether an embryo is developing too quickly or too slowly; any irregular cleavage patterns; and any embryos not reaching optimal development on day 3 or 5. Using KIDScore™ and iDAScore® software, embryologists can greatly improve implantation rates. KIDScore™ (Known Implantation Data) relates the development patterns that have been monitored in each patient’s embryos with their implantation potential (at the time of egg transfer). iDAScore® (Intelligent Data Analysis for embryo evaluation) is a powerful, automated and reliable tool that analyzes each of the patient’s embryos and compares them with information collected from millions of embryos from around the world. Through this comparison, embryos are classified by their chances of successful implantation (and hopefully pregnancy) and embryologists can identify the best embryo(s).
These two advances help the laboratory team select the most promising embryos in terms of their evolutionary potential (boosting the likelihood of a successful embryo transfer and subsequent pregnancy).
Currently, only two fertility clinics in Spain are equipped with this technology – iGin is one of them.
By using this assisted reproductive technology, the application of certain techniques and protocols allows fertility specialists to increase the chances of implantation and getting pregnant.
ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection)
ICSI is an important development within the assisted reproductive technology field included in IVF treatment. It consists of individually microinjecting each oocyte with a previously selected sperm. Sperm selection allows laboratory experts to choose the best sperm for fertilization (the sperm with the highest potential), optimizing the quality of embryos. At iGin, ICSI is used to achieve pregnancy in couples diagnosed with male factor infertility because it is more controlled and more effective than IVF in this scenario.
Sperm Capacitation
After the collection of the sperm sample, it must be capacitated: the process that allows the sperm to acquire the ability to fertilize the ovum. These are modifications in their structure and mobility that are performed so that the sperm can penetrate the membrane that covers the oocyte and fuse with it. Depending on the diagnosis of the spermiogram, there are new and very advanced capacitation techniques that can be performed:
- MACS (Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting). This assisted reproduction technique discards dead sperms or those that are in the process of dying, leaving only the living ones. With this technique, the probability of achieving an embryo is further increased.
- Fertile-Chip. In patients with recurrent miscarriages, failure of previous treatment, embryonic blockage after the third day, or advanced age (men over 47 years of age), a sperm DNA fragmentation test is usually recommended. If this test gives a positive result, the Fertile Chip technique will be indicated. It is a modern method that discards sperms with DNA fragmentation, improving the success of the ICSI.
Assisted Hatching
This technique is applied on the fifth day of embryo development. When evaluating the number of blastocysts obtained, embryologists drill the zona pellucida of the embryo to optimize its implantation in the uterus. It is a safe and reliable method that, again, increases the chances of achieving pregnancy.
Genetic Compatibility Test (Matching)
This procedure allows the couple’s screening tests for recessive diseases to be compared, ensuring that both are not carriers of the same mutation, thus preventing the resulting embryos from being affected by that condition.
Embryoglue
Embryoglue is an embryo culture medium that is especially suitable for implantation failures, as it improves endometrial growth factors for the embryo to settle in the uterus.
The application of these techniques and the use of such advanced technology provide important advantages when it comes to achieving pregnancy. Together with the professionalism of fertility specialists and embryologists, it is one of the reasons why, at fertility clinics like iGin, success rates are above average for all reproductive treatments.
iGin fertility specialists are ready to speak with you about your fertility treatment and hopes of building a family. Contact iGin fertility clinic to book an appointment.
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