Time-lapse photography used as observation tool for In-vitro fertilisation

When one says time-lapse photography, the first thing that naturally comes to mind is landscapes or cityscapes. But a company in the UK called FertiliTech has developed an Embryoscope, a medical instrument which tends to improve the process of In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) using time-lapse photography.

  [caption id=“attachment_225951” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Embryoscope is the incubator for observing human embryo which also has provision for time-lapse photography[/caption]

In-vitro Fertilisation is the process of fertilisation of an egg by a sperm outside of the body, where the fertilisation process takes place in a lab environment. If an embryo results as due to the fertilisation, it is implanted back in the mother’s womb. The babies produced as a result of this technique are colloquially referred to as ‘test-tube babies’. Ideally, the embryos resulting from the fertilisation process are monitored for a number of days by the embryologists, before selecting the best embryo to be implanted.

The process of examining the embryos comes with its own set of difficulties. In order to examine them, the embryologist has to remove them from the safe environs of an incubator and ensure that it is not exposed to hazards of changing temperatures and contaminants. Also, the embryos are examined just once a day, which limits the information at the embryologist’s disposal.

The Embryoscope takes an image of the developing embryo every 10-15 minutes, within the incubator itself. Over a day, all these images can create a time-lapse video which better enables the embryologist to see the development of the embryos. Also since the camera setup is inside the incubator, there is no need to take the embryos out for examination, thereby reducing chances of exposing it to temperature changes or pathogens in the air. Another advantage is the the amount of information available to the embryologist is much more than it was previously.

Dr Simon Fishel, managing director of UK’s CARE Fertility , who was responsible for the very first test-tube baby back in 1978, is also responsible for the first Embryoscope born baby in the UK in 2012. “I think this is the most exciting breakthrough since IVF started. The information that we are gathering with the Embryoscope with the time-lapse is far superior. We have much, much more information on which to base the crucial decision as to which embryo is the one to transfer back to the patient,” said Dr Fishel to CNN.

  [caption id=“attachment_225952” align=“aligncenter” width=“632”] Embryologists observing the time-lapse videos of the embryos (Image courtesy: CNN)[/caption]

The increased data thanks to the time-lapse photography aspect, helps embryologists detect early abnormalities immediately. Also learning algorithms have been created to recognise positive or negative patterns at key development points. This ensures that the most optimal embryos having high chances of success are implanted in the mother’s womb.

According to the reports at CARE Fertility, the Embryoscope and its accompanying algorithms increase the chances of successful pregnancy by around 20 per cent. The other insight offered by the Embryoscope is a look into the development of male and female sexes in the embryonic stages itself, before any physical features have developed.

Apart from the sex-determination aspect, which is illegal in India, the procedure comes at a very steep price in the UK. Also as the amount of data available is much more than it was earlier, more time has to be allocated to analyse the data. With more popularisation of this technique, the cost-related issues can be taken care of. But this technology surely does improve the odds of parenthood for couples who cannot conceive naturally.