Progress in IVF technology
IVF technology, also known as assisted reproductive technology (ART), is a technology that helps infertile couples solve their fertility problems. In recent years, with the progress of science and technology and the development of medical technology, IVF technology has made many remarkable progress. This article will elaborate on the progress of IVF technology from four aspects.
1. Embryo screening
Embryo screening is a key step in IVF technology, which can help select the embryos most likely to successfully develop into healthy babies. In the past, embryo screening mainly relied on manual observation, but its accuracy was limited. Today, combined with gene detection and other technologies, the accuracy of embryo screening has been significantly improved.
Some advanced hospitals and IVF centers have adopted a new generation of gene sequencing technology, which can detect chromosomal abnormalities and some genetic diseases by analyzing the DNA of embryos. This accurate embryo screening technology enables doctors to select only healthy embryos for implantation, thus improving the success rate of IVF.
It is worth mentioning that with the development of technology, the method of embryo screening is becoming more and more accurate, and can even achieve the goal of genetic defect repair. This means that IVF technology may become an effective means to prevent the spread of some genetic diseases in the future.
2. Improvement of IVF method
In vitro fertilization is one of the core steps of IVF technology. In order to improve the success rate of IVF, researchers continue to explore ways to improve IVF.
A new method of in vitro fertilization is single sperm injection (ICSI). Compared with the traditional in vitro fertilization method, in ICSI technology, only a single sperm needs to be injected into the egg, without natural combination of sperm and egg. This method is applicable to the situation where the number or vitality of male sperm is low, which can improve the fertilization rate and embryo quality, thus increasing the possibility of IVF success.
In addition, a method called natural cycle IVF is also being tried. Compared with conventional egg retrieval methods, natural cycle egg retrieval does not use a lot of drugs to stimulate ovarian ovulation, but uses normal ovulation in the natural cycle to take out only one egg. This method avoids the impact of a large number of drugs on the body, reduces the side effects of hormones, and may improve the success rate of IVF.
3. Optimization of embryo culture conditions
The environmental conditions of embryos in culture dishes play an important role in their development. Researchers are working to optimize embryo culture conditions to improve the success rate of IVF.
A study shows that the quality of embryo development can be improved by culturing embryos in a physiological environment similar to the maternal uterus. Therefore, some IVF centers are using sterile incubators to simulate the temperature, humidity and oxygen concentration of the mother's uterus, so as to provide more suitable culture conditions for embryos.
In addition, the study of culture medium is also an important part. Some researchers try to develop a new culture medium to simulate the nutrients delivered by the mother to the embryo, including glucose, amino acids, etc. These improvements can increase the success rate of embryonic development and the success rate of IVF.
4. Application of auxiliary technology
In addition to the basic IVF technology, the application of some auxiliary technologies also helps to improve the success rate of IVF.
In the process of embryo implantation, ultrasound guided technology can provide real-time information of embryo implantation location and intrauterine environment, helping doctors implant embryos more accurately.
In addition, some hospitals have begun to apply the technology of pre implant genomics (PGS). PGS technology can detect the number and structure of chromosomes in embryos, help doctors screen embryos with abnormal chromosomes, and improve the success rate of IVF.
Summary
With the continuous progress of science and technology, IVF technology has made significant progress. The progress in embryo screening, improvement of in vitro fertilization methods, optimization of embryo culture conditions and application of auxiliary technologies will help to improve the success rate of IVF. In the future, with the development and application of more technologies, IVF technology is expected to play a greater role in solving the problem of infertility.
