Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Human Egg Maturity Assessment and Its Clinical Application
Published on: August 19, 2019
Automatic user-independent zona pellucida imaging at the oocyte stage allows for the prediction of preimplantation
Thomas Ebner1, Basak Balaban, Marianne Moser
1Landes- Frauen- und Kinderklinik, IVF-Unit, Linz, Austria. thomas.ebner@gespag.at
Objective:
To analyze whether a change in three-dimensional structure of the zona pellucida could indicate suboptimal gamete quality.
Design:
Prospective study.
Setting:
Women's general hospital.
Patient(S):
A total of 72 patients who gave informed consent.
Intervention(S):
The birefringence of all oocytes was prospectively analyzed with an automatic user-independent polarization microscopy imaging system.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Birefringence of the inner zona layer, preimplantation development, implantation, and pregnancy.
Result(S):
In approximately one third of all gametes (244/712), the system's automatic detection of the inner zona layer did not succeed. This phenomenon was a negative predictor of compaction (P<0.01), blastulation (P<0.001), and pregnancy (P<0.001). In cases of successful zona imaging, the score based on the birefringence of the inner zona layer was a strong predictor of blastocyst formation but not of embryo quality or pregnancy (P>0.05). Interestingly, antagonist protocol resulted in lower zona scores as compared with the long protocol (P<0.05).
Conclusion(S):
Combining the information from both undetected and detected oocytes, zona imaging was a helpful tool in oocyte selection. This knowledge might further help to reduce both the time in culture and the number of concepti considered for transfer.
