New EmbryoScope Technology Set To Improve IVF Success Now Available in the Midwest

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Dr. John Rapisarda of Fertility Centers of Illinois

With the EmbryoScope, we can now select embryos with unprecedented precision. The capabilities of this technology may help patients achieve their family planning goals by keeping a close eye on the embryo.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) July 18, 2013

The EmbryoScope, the latest in cutting-edge technology, is now available to couples seeking fertility treatment in the Midwest at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Comprised of an incubator, microscope and time-lapse camera, the EmbryoScope monitors embryo development from the time of conception, allowing fertility specialists to select the most viable embryos during in-vitro fertilization treatment. This creates a video of embryo development for its first five days of existence.

Traditional embryo monitoring methods required fertility professionals to remove embryos from an incubator once a day and study development through a microscope. Scientists are careful not to remove embryos more frequently from the incubator due to the additional risk posed to embryo development.

The EmbryoScope can monitor up to 12 embryos at once, and take photos of each embryo every five to 20 minutes for the entire duration of the incubation period, allowing for comprehensive monitoring of embryo development. Embryos remain in a controlled, stable environment unaffected by outside influence. Any abnormal embryo development can be detected without harming the embryo, allowing the most viable embryos to be selected during in-vitro fertilization.

“With the EmbryoScope, we can now select embryos with unprecedented precision,” explains Dr. John Rapisarda of Fertility Centers of Illinois. “The capabilities of this technology may help patients achieve their family planning goals by keeping a close eye on the embryo.”

The technology can prove particularly beneficial for couples who have done multiple IVF cycles or have experienced recurrent miscarriage. By watching the embryos develop, fertility professionals can also monitor abnormal cell splitting, potentially indicating an embryo with genetic abnormality.

In European clinical trials, the EmbryoScope demonstrated a 20-25 percent increase in pregnancy rates. In-house clinical trials at Fertility Centers of Illinois began this past week.

There are currently an estimated 15 centers offering the EmbryoScope across the country, with Fertility Centers of Illinois being the first center in the Midwest to offer the technology.

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Fertility Centers of Illinois, S.C., is one of the nation's leading fertility treatment practices, providing advanced reproductive endocrinology services in the Chicago area for more than 30 years. FCI physicians, embryologists and support staff are stringently chosen based on educational background, medical skills and their ability to collaborate. With a team of 10 nationally and internationally recognized reproductive physicians who treat thousands of patients each year, the practice has earned a reputation for overcoming hard-to-solve fertility issues. FCI is dedicated to medical and clinical excellence and continues to invest in the latest technologies and research. FCI offers a comprehensive range of fertility treatment options including intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, donor egg, gestational carrier, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as extensive resources to address financial and emotional needs. Fostering a culture for continuous innovation has made FCI home to the annual Midwest Reproductive Symposium which attracts experts in the field of reproductive endocrinology from around the world. FCI has 10 offices conveniently located throughout the Chicagoland area (Buffalo Grove, Chicago/River North, Crystal Lake, Glenview, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Lindenhurst, Warrenville, Oakbrook Terrace, and Orland Park). FCI is a member of the Attain Fertility Network which provides discounted fertility treatment programs. For more information visit http://www.fcionline.com.

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