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The technology developed by Virtus Health's scientists contributes to IVF medicine by shortening the time to a successful pregnancy and improving overall success rates.
SINGAPORE, Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore (VFCS) announced that artificial intelligence (AI), used as a predictive tool to identify the most viable embryo in the IVF process, is now a standard of care in the clinic, with the aim of enhancing patients' experience by shortening the time to a successful pregnancy and improving overall success rates.
Developed by Virtus Health's scientists in Australia in collaboration with Harrison.ai, the AI technology is based on data from 10,638 embryos cultured in time-lapse incubators across eight IVF clinics in four countries between January 2014 and December 2018. These findings were first presented at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Annual Conference in October 2018.
In 2019, Virtus Health and Harrison.ai partnered with Vitrolife, a Swedish manufacturer of time-lapse incubation systems, to further develop this pioneering system. Since then, Virtus Health has grown its use of AI in IVF care. They became the first IVF provider to use this technology in clinical practice in Australia, and VFCS began incorporating AI into the IVF process in 2020.
How AI Enhances the IVF Process
During an IVF cycle, embryos are grown in an incubator equipped with time-lapse cameras to monitor them non-invasively throughout the five days of incubation.
"Traditionally, embryologists use a standard grading system to assess the appearance of each embryo under a microscope. The AI-based software now analyzes extensive time-lapse imaging data, captured every 10 minutes, to identify the embryos with the highest potential for developing a fetal heart by assigning each an embryo score. The embryo graded with the highest score is then selected for transfer by the embryologist," explains Dr. Liow Swee Lian, VFCS' Scientific Director.
The AI system has been further developed using an additional dataset of 115,000 embryo development time-lapse sequences with known clinical outcomes. The new iteration, known as iDAScore®, is currently being used at VFCS' laboratory.
Benefits for Patients
"Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into our standard of care is crucial for enhancing clinical outcomes. Our primary objectives have always been to achieve the earliest successful pregnancies and improve overall success rates. AI allows us to identify embryos with the highest potential for successful pregnancies and live births more accurately. Additionally, these technological advancements can help positively impact the emotional well-being of our patients during the in vitro fertilization (IVF) journey, providing them with hope and confidence," says Dr. Roland Chieng, Medical Director of VFCS.
About Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore
Established in 2014, Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore (VFCS) provides personalized fertility care. As part of Australian-based Virtus Health, with a network of over 40 clinics worldwide, VFCS has access to proven reproductive science techniques and treatment programs to support couples in Singapore. The facility is Virtus Health's largest self-contained fertility laboratory in the region, providing comprehensive services such as consultations, procedures, and monitoring, ensuring top-tier care for couples navigating complex fertility issues.