First babies conceived with Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Robotics in medicine
• Assisted reproductive technology

Background:

• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a key technique in human IVF.
• Automation of micromanipulation procedures in embryology is an emerging field.
• The development of robotic systems aims to improve precision and consistency in assisted reproduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an automated sperm injection robot for Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSIA).
• To assess the feasibility of ICSIA in a clinical setting using human oocytes.
• To compare the performance of the ICSIA robot with manual ICSI performed by experienced embryologists.

Main Methods:

• The ICSIA robot automated sperm injection, including oocyte penetration and sperm release.
• Testing was conducted on animal oocytes (mouse, hamster, rabbit) and discarded human oocytes.
• A pilot clinical trial used donor oocytes, with the robot operated by engineers lacking micromanipulation experience.

Main Results:

• The ICSIA robot showed comparable results to manual ICSI in animal models and pre-clinical human oocyte tests.
• In clinical validation, ICSIA achieved a fertilization rate of 13/14 oocytes.
• Pregnancies and live births were achieved following the transfer of ICSIA-derived blastocysts.

Conclusions:

• The ICSIA robot demonstrated high proficiency in oocyte injection, even when operated by inexperienced personnel.
• Preliminary clinical trial results indicate the robot's performance is within key indicators.
• Automated ICSI holds potential for improving outcomes in human IVF.