New micro device injects a boost to IVF success
A research team led by the 成人大片, in partnership with medical technology company Fertilis, has delivered a ground-breaking new micro-device to streamline the only fertility treatment procedure available for men with low sperm counts.
The first-of-its-kind device will allow more IVF clinics to offer Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) as a treatment, while several IVF procedures, such as embryo culture, embryo cryopreservation and in vitro maturation, will also be improved by using the device.
ICSI is a slow and difficult procedure which involves the injection of a single sperm into an egg for fertilisation, and it can only be carried out by experienced embryologists.
This new technology 鈥 smaller than a pinhead in size - holds up to 10 eggs in segregated positions for quicker injection, making it easier for embryologists to track and avoid the risk of errors.
Lead researcher Dr Kylie Dunning, from the 成人大片鈥檚 Robinson Research Institute, said the device will cut treatment time in half, require less training for embryologists with less expensive equipment than current ICSI treatment and improve access to the procedure for more patients.
鈥淭he development of this new, innovative approach is an important breakthrough for people wanting to start a family who haven鈥檛 been able to due to male infertility. This discovery removes significant barriers to treatment for people with infertility and will improve IVF success.鈥Dr Kylie Dunning
鈥淭he development of this new, innovative approach is an important breakthrough for people wanting to start a family who haven鈥檛 been able to due to male infertility,鈥 Dr Dunning said.
鈥淏y removing the need for the pipette that normally holds the unfertilised egg in position during ICSI, this device simplifies the injection process, reduces dependency on a high level of technical experience and will dramatically improve embryo production.
鈥淭his discovery removes significant barriers to treatment for people with infertility and will improve IVF success.鈥
Device inventor and Fertilis co-founder, Professor Jeremy Thompson, said his company is excited to bring the breakthrough device to market.
鈥淲here IVF science has excelled, technology has tended to stagnate - until now,鈥 Professor Thompson said.
鈥淚CSI hasn鈥檛 changed since its discovery 30 years ago. Continued innovation in the IVF lab like this is the only way we will boost success and reduce the financial and emotional burden for patients.鈥
The device will undergo global clinical trials in 2022.
This cutting-edge development would not have been possible without the support of the Australian Research Council and The Hospital Research Foundation Group.
Paul Flynn, Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital Research Foundation Group, said the organisation has been proud to support Dr Dunning鈥檚 research during the past three years to improve IVF success rates.
鈥淭his device is set to be a game changer for thousands of hopeful parents who need to rely on ICSI,鈥 Mr Flynn said.
Primary author, Suliman Yagoub, is a PhD candidate in the School of Biomedicine at The 成人大片.
Professor Kishan Dholakia from the 成人大片, and University of St Andrews, Scotland, Professor Brant Gibson from RMIT University and Dr Antony Orth from the National Research Council of Canada were also co-authors on this research, which published its findings in the .
Media contacts:
Dr Kylie Dunning, Hospital Research Foundation Fellow, Robinson Research Institute, 成人大片. Mobile: +61 (0)403 265 855,聽Email: kylie.dunning@adelaide.edu.au
Professor Jeremy Thompson, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Fertilis. Mobile: +61 (0)408 849 172, Email: jeremy@fertil.is
Lee Gaskin, Senior Media and Communications Officer, 成人大片. Mobile: +61 (0)415 747 075, Email: lee.gaskin@adelaide.edu.au