Time lapse embryo monitoring (TLEM) is a procedure that lies in the vanguard of medical technology. It is a cutting-edge monitoring system that captures digital images of embryos at frequent predetermined intervals, allowing embryologists to track the development of a pool of embryos. With TLEM, embryologists can trace an embryo's journey in superlative detail, without having to remove it from the incubator. In turn, the controlled temperature and carefully designed environment can boost an embryo's chances of survival.
Time Lapse Embryo Monitoring (TLEM) can equip your doctor with a plethora of clues about how your embryos are developing.
Based on the performance in the incubator, your embryologist will grade each embryo based on the thickness of its wall, its shape and structure, and its degree of fragmentation.
TLEM is a state-of-the-art procedure, underpinned by bright field technology, which provides insights that would not be possible with traditional monitoring tools. For instance, embryos whose cells are composed of an incorrect number of chromosomes may go unnoticed when observed during a conventional in vitro fertilisation (IVF) routine. Such embryos may not be adequate for implantation and could result in a miscarriage. TLEM helps an embryologist handpick the embryos that are most likely to reach the blastocyst stage.
If you are considering in vitro fertilisation (IVF), you should think of opting for time lapse embryo monitoring (TLEM). TLEM can lower the risk of higher order births like twins or triplets, and can help your embryologist to determine the healthiest embryos from the ones that have been formed. The technique is particularly helpful for older women, as it selectively determines the best embryos for implantation.
Time lapse monitoring is preceded and succeeded by an intricate series of steps that enhance the effectiveness of the procedure.
As a first step, a collection of embryos is cultured in multi-well dishes. Each embryo is seated in a separate well, and is immersed in a single bubble of culture medium. Then, the dishes are placed in a carefully tempered incubator. Primo Vision culture allows every individual embryo to grow independently while offering an environment likened to a group culture.
Primo Vision is a lightweight, digital microscope that is attached to the inside of an incubator. The technique offers soft, green illumination inside the incubator, capturing digital snapshots of each embryo at specific intervals. These images are then relayed to your embryologist, who will conduct a detailed evaluation of which embryos are best suited for transfer to the uterus.
There have been few known risks identified with time lapse embryo monitoring. The procedure draws a parallel to traditional embryo cultivation techniques, the difference lying only in the technology used to house the embryos.
While there has been speculation about the recommended wavelength of light beamed within each incubator, the cultivation techniques used on Cloudnine are gentle and paced. The minute camera that is fitted inside each incubator beams light rays that are limited to a conservative wavelength threshold.
Time-lapse embryo monitoring technology helps to observe the embryo after fertilization and tells you the growth at the cell level. This helps in understanding the quality of the embryo. At Cloudnine, time-lapse embryo monitoring technology will help you to maximize the chances of succeeding.
In only about one-third of cases is infertility due to the woman (female factors). Main infertility in women can be due to lack of good quality eggs, an open fallopian tube and a receptive lining of the uterus. A problem with any of these factors will reduce fertility and may cause infertility