The Ecomed Group of medical companies has once again introduced the latest and globally validated technology in embryology – the revolutionary incubator with time-lapse imaging (time-lapse), EMBRYOSCOPE PLUS, featuring state-of-the-art, fully automated artificial intelligence, IDE. As of now, we are the sole assisted reproduction center in Kazakhstan equipped with this system. It’s worth noting that acquiring such a device was a significant investment, with each unit costing 270,000 euros.
Now, you might wonder, what advantages does EMBRYOSCOPE PLUS offer for embryo cultivation?
EMBRYOSCOPEPLUS provides the most stable conditions for embryo cultivation. It achieves precise temperature control through direct heating, maintaining air purity with HEPA/VOC filters. The integrated gas mixer facilitates cost-effective implementation of conditions with reduced oxygen levels. Small incubation chambers quickly restore optimal cultivation conditions after the incubator door is opened. Within EMBRYOSCOPEPLUS, the space is designed to accommodate 15 cups, each containing 16 embryos.
The illumination in the time-lapse EMBRYOSCOPEPLUS system operates outside the harmful wavelength limits and exposes embryos to significantly lower total light energy compared to traditional microscopy. Continuous monitoring in the time-lapse EMBRYOSCOPEPLUS system captures images of all embryos in multiple focal planes. Frame-by-frame systems utilize optics with modulated contrast to display images of each embryo individually. This approach ensures the highest image quality, allowing for the observation of key morphological characteristics without removing embryos from the incubator, minimizing stress.
The imaging process has undergone rigorous validation to ensure the safety of embryos concerning both light wavelength and exposure. Image processing has been carefully designed to minimize data storage requirements while maintaining optimal quality, ensuring smooth video playback.
What can artificial intelligence IDAScore do?
Time-lapse systems such as Primo Vision, Embryo Imager, and Esco MiriTL have been introduced in some clinics in the Kazakhstan market. While they record videos of embryo development, they lack advanced artificial intelligence capabilities that can assess each embryo based on an algorithm created through deep learning in a neural network to predict the viability of embryos cultured in the EMBRYOSCOPEPLUS incubator.
The IDE system assigns objective scores to each embryo, which accurately represent their implantation potential. This assists embryologists in making informed decisions about which embryos to transfer and which to freeze. But how does this work? The decision support module transmits embryo evaluation data to a server that contains time-lapse information from 115,000 embryos across 18 clinics on various continents. This database includes patient data from different age groups and their known clinical outcomes, specifically regarding embryo transfers on the 3rd and 5th days.
This is akin to an embryologist having to compare one embryo with 7,500,000 photos of other embryos to make a decision – a task that is utterly incomprehensible and impossible for a human. However, this challenge is achievable only through the expertise of the trained artificial intelligence system, IDE. IDASCORE objectively «compares» a specific embryo with others, identifying embryos with the highest likelihood of implantation based on similar developmental patterns, and generates a score that correlates with the probability of successful implantation. No other time-lapse system possesses this capability to identify embryos before the 5th day of development. Therefore, EMBRYOSCOPE PLUS, with its groundbreaking scientific technology, presents a unique opportunity to enhance the chances of success in IVF by aiding in the selection of the best embryo for transfer.
For more details on its utilization, you can follow our Instagram pages, where we’ll provide accessible explanations through a series of live broadcasts featuring our leading embryologists, as well as informative Instagram posts. Be sure to subscribe and keep up with updates on these pages, including those of your specific clinic. You can also obtain information by scheduling a consultation with a reproductive specialist.
