Automating day 0 in the IVF laboratory: clinical validationof a three-stage workflow resulting in first pregnancies
Chavez-Badiola et al, ESHRE
This is a summary report of laboratory and clinical outcomes following application of automated systems to handle the first steps of IVF: sperm preparation, egg finding and handling, and injection of sperm into eggs for fertilization (ICSI). This “three-stage” application was supervised by embryologists with the aim of reducing human error and improving consistency in lab procedures that normally rely heavily on manual work. The automated systems successfully achieved fertilization and embryo development. Transfer of embryos in three patients led to pregnancy in all patients. While larger studies are needed, these results are encouraging and suggest that automation of these intricate and complex procedures is feasible and could make IVF more efficient, especially given the shortage of highly skilled embryologists worldwide.