Getting timing right is crucial to the entire IVF process, and this is especially true for egg maturity. Thanks to the innovative polarisation microscopy method OptimFert, we can determine an egg’s level of maturity and identify the most suitable moment for fertilisation.
Timing egg fertilisation at just the right moment is crucial for obtaining a quality embryo.
An egg’s ability to fertilise increases before ovulation and then gradually fades again. In a natural cycle, a sperm waits for its moment to penetrate the egg at precisely the right time. In assisted reproduction, we are only able to determine this moment by evaluating the appearance, shape and morphology of the egg.
Traditional light microscopy can then reveal the intracellular polar body formed during meiotic division, in which the cell stores the chromosomes discarded from the next division. The presence of a polar body is considered an essential sign of an egg’s maturity. We know from experience, however, that even an egg including it may not be fully mature.
Polarising microscopy takes us a step further to accurately detecting an egg’s maturity. Specially equipped microscopes allow us to capture the spindle apparatus, the part of the egg that is responsible for the division of chromosomes during cell division. The spindle apparatus is the most advanced feature we can now non-invasively detect in the mature egg, providing us with crucial information we can use for optimal timing of fertilisation through ICSI.
If you are undergoing fertility treatment with a lower egg count and want to be sure that you give yourself the best chance to achieve optimal fertilization conditions, OptimFert may well be your best option.
Egg maturity monitoring is just one option in our personalised approach to treatment at the PFC clinic, and our embryologists can introduce you to this technology in person. Contact your IVF Coordinator to schedule a consultation.
We use specially equipped microscopes.