Automated Device Recovers More Eggs in IVF, Study Finds

A newly published study in Nature Medicine evaluated an automated microfluidic system for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and found that it could recover additional oocytes that manual screening methods had missed. The research involved hundreds of patients across multiple clinics and reported both quantitative and clinical outcomes.

The OvaReady system was assessed by examining follicular fluid samples from 582 patients at four accredited IVF clinics. The study compared the automated system's performance to traditional manual visual inspection, which has been the standard method for identifying oocytes in IVF laboratories for decades.

Researchers found that in more than half of the cases, the automated device was able to recover additional eggs from fluid that had already been checked manually. According to the study, these extra oocytes were not detected during the initial manual screening process, indicating a previously under-recognized source of oocyte loss during IVF treatment.

The device uses microfluidic channels and bumpers to sort through follicular fluid, isolating oocytes that may be overlooked during manual inspection. This approach represents a technological advancement over the longstanding manual techniques used in IVF labs.

What the numbers show

• 582 patients participated in the study across four clinics
• 316 patients had a total of 582 additional eggs recovered by the device
• One recovered oocyte led to a live birth reported in September

AutoIVF, the company behind the OvaReady system, stated that the Nature Medicine publication quantifies oocyte loss that was not previously well documented in IVF procedures. The company also reported that the live birth associated with a recovered oocyte was consistent with developmental competence findings described in the study.

Ravi Kapur, CEO of AutoIVF and co-author of the study, said in a statement that he had anticipated the device would find eggs in about 10% of cases, but the results showed additional oocytes were identified in over 50% of patients at several clinics. This outcome exceeded the company's initial expectations for the device's performance.

The study noted that manual visual screening for oocyte identification in IVF clinics has remained largely unchanged for many years. The automated system's ability to recover more eggs suggests a difference in efficiency compared to traditional methods, as documented in the published research.

One of the additional oocytes recovered by the automated device resulted in a live birth, with a healthy baby girl born in September. This outcome was reported as an observational finding within the study and aligns with the developmental competence of oocytes identified by the system.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.