Ovation Fertility

Embryology Services

Supporting the IVF Journey

Ovation provides top-tier embryology services, including ICSI and embryo biopsy, handled by a skilled team dedicated to the utmost care of your specimens.

IVF Microscope

ICSI

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

When a semen analysis shows a very low sperm count, fertility doctors may recommend intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This advanced technique is crucial in IVF cycles to ensure fertilization of each egg. ICSI aids fertilization by injecting a single healthy sperm directly into a mature egg, increasing the chance of fertilization.

ICSI Process

During IVF, after the female partner undergoes egg retrieval following fertility medication, the lab retrieves a sperm sample. To prepare for ICSI, lab staff wash and concentrate the sperm sample to separate high-quality sperm from seminal fluid. They then place the concentrated sperm in a dish, where an embryologist selects a single sperm for injection into each egg. The fertilized embryos are then cultivated in the lab before transfer to the uterus or freezing for future use.

Embryo Culture
& Monitoring

Embryo culture in IVF is crucial for enhancing success rates. Through precise control of environmental conditions and nutrient-rich media, Ovation embryologists create an optimal setting for embryo development. This advanced system mimics the conditions of the female reproductive tract, supporting embryos from fertilization through cleavage and blastocyst stages.

Different types of culture media cater to each developmental phase, ensuring embryos receive essential nutrients. Maintained in specialized incubators, these environments regulate temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and oxygen levels to stabilize pH levels crucial for embryo growth.

After several days of monitoring and evaluation, our embryologists collaborate with the patient’s fertility specialist to select embryos for transfer or freezing.

Safety Measures

A bar code system ensures patient identity and documentation of all procedures.

Embryo Grading

Embryo grading plays a crucial role in IVF success. It involves assessing each embryo to determine its developmental progress and potential for implantation and healthy growth.

Ovation embryologists, equipped with advanced tools like high-powered microscopes, meticulously evaluate embryos based on specific criteria. This grading helps fertility doctors identify the highest-quality embryos for transfer, increasing the chances of a successful pregnancy.

Grading Criteria

  • Evaluates whether a Day 5 embryo is expanding, hatching, or hatched

  • Assesses the quality of the cells that will develop into the baby

  • Determines the quality of the cells that will form the placenta

Embryo Freezing & Storage

Embryo freezing and storage eliminates the need for additional stimulation cycles, saving time and costs associated with repeated egg retrieval. It's ideal for couples seeking flexibility and peace of mind in family planning.

Embryo freezing is essential in IVF when multiple embryos are produced, offering a cost-effective method to preserve them for future attempts at conception. Ovation's expertise in vitrification preserves embryos by rapidly cooling them to -196°C (-320°F) in liquid nitrogen, indefinitely suspending metabolic activity. This rapid freezing technique prevents ice crystal formation.

Ovation provides state-of-the-art facilities for embryo storage, ensuring embryos are monitored and secured with stringent quality checks and backup systems. Embryo storage is vital for IVF patients with surplus embryos, awaiting genetic testing results, or preferring a controlled uterine environment. Many choose to store embryos after a successful first IVF cycle to expand their families later.

Embryo Warming

When patients have surplus embryos from IVF, Ovation Fertility offers expert embryo thawing services. When you're ready to conceive again, our advanced IVF labs ensure safe and precise embryo warming:

  1. The process begins by carefully removing the embryo from liquid nitrogen and verifying patient details.

  2. The embryo is swiftly thawed in body temperature media to prevent ice formation.

  3. It undergoes stepwise transfer to adjust to standard media solution concentrations.

  4. After rinsing in culture media, the embryo is placed in an incubator for the transfer procedure.

Is the thawing process safe and effective?

Yes, thawing typically doesn't harm embryos, and children born from thawed embryos show no health issues. Success hinges on embryo quality and lab expertise. Ovation labs, meeting top standards, achieve high survival rates, boosting your chance of parenthood.

Laser-Assisted Hatching

Ovation embryologists perform laser-assisted hatching during IVF to aid the natural embryo hatching process. While embryos typically hatch on their own to implant in the uterus and establish a pregnancy, factors such as age or conditions like endometriosis can impede this process.

As an egg matures, it develops a protective shell called the zona pellucida. By Day 6 or 7, the embryo should naturally hatch from this shell to implant. If the shell is too thick, the embryo may struggle to hatch and implant. During laser-assisted hatching, a skilled embryologist uses a heat-directed laser to create a small opening in the zona pellucida of the embryo. This precise procedure helps embryos that might have difficulty hatching on their own. It's a safe method that promotes natural embryo development and enhances the chances of successful implantation during IVF.

Let’s Work Together

Get in touch

Let us help you achieve the best possible outcomes for your patients with top-tier embryology services. Whether you need cutting-edge techniques, advanced equipment, or expert advice on best practices, Ovation is here to support.