Yahoo News Hull fertility clinic uses new AI technology to aid pregnancy success
A Hull-based fertility clinic is using exciting new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to help women fall pregnant.
Hull and East Riding Fertility is paving the way by using the EmbryoScope technology - a specialist incubator which takes digital images of each embryo every ten minutes throughout its development. These images then form a video, which is used by embryologists to assess each embryo ready for transfer to the womb or for freezing.
It is the first clinic in the county to employ the latest version of the technology, which uses iDAScore, an enhanced AI algorithm to help embryologists to decide which is the best embryo to transfer. This version of the technology now has more AI data analysis than previously available, which gives embryologists much more detailed information about the quality of the embryo, helping to reduce incidence of miscarriage.
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Jane Goodchild-Pasman, senior embryologist at Hull and East Riding Fertility, said: “This technology is so exciting as it gives us so much more information about the embryo and its development. It takes a picture of each embryo every ten minutes from 11 different dimensions and we can get much more information as the embryos develop, which traditionally we couldn’t see and may have been missed.
“Embryologists are more likely to see any abnormal divisions or fertilisations and then these embryos can be deselected. Patients have their hopes and dreams pinned on IVF working, so going forward, it will give patients much more reassurance that the best embryo has been picked to use in treatment. And it reassures us that we are making the best decision in choosing which one to put back into their womb.”
The clinic first started using the latest AI technology in March, and already 14 women have achieved a pregnancy, although these are still in the very early stages. Traditionally, embryologists are only able to look at embryos developing in the incubator for a few minutes on days one, two, three and five, post egg collection, to evaluate their development before they have to be quickly returned to the incubator.
The EmbryoScope technology means that the embryos do not have to be removed from the safe environment of the incubator to be observed. Not only is the technology “cutting edge” it also enables patients to receive a video of their embryo developing from the moment it is placed into the incubator.
A spokeswoman for Hull and East Riding said: “We are delighted to be able to provide women with the benefits that this Artificial Intelligence technology provides. To be able to see their baby developing from the moment of conception like this is incredibly special for any parents.”
