Fertility Centers of New England Announces the First Live Birth in the United States from Donor Eggs Using the Embryoscope® Incubator System

Time-lapse photography with Embryoscope® lets doctors see an embryo’s development at key time periods to aid in vitro fertilization using donor oocytes.

The first baby has been born using donor eggs in an in vitro cycle using a specialized incubator called an Embryoscope®, the Fertility Centers of New England have reported. The incubator uses time-lapse photography to give embryologists revolutionary insight into an embryo’s development. Doctors can actually watch embryos develop and monitor healthy cell divisions in a way previously impossible.

The Fertility Centers of New England previously announced the first successful births following embryo culture using the Embryoscope® (Unisense/Fertilitech, Aarhus, Denmark), a new advancement for the IVF laboratory. This new development marks the first live birth in a Donor IVF cycle.

“We are proud to once again be at the forefront of using this new technology and the first IVF center in the United States to report this live birth in a Donor IVF cycle,” said Fertility Centers of New England President and CEO, Joseph A. Hill, MD. “We are also proud to be the only IVF center in New England using this technology clinically on a daily basis.”

The Embryoscope® incubator is a state-of-the-art system, with a built-in camera providing automated and continuous time-lapse photography of fertilized oocytes from conception until the time of embryo transfer without disturbing the culture environment.

This innovative device allows embryologists to assess an embryo’s development by closely observing cell division at key time periods. “As we continue to culture more embryos in this innovative system, we will also be able to design specific selection or de-selection parameters to assist with embryo selection,” said Fertility Centers of New England Laboratory Director Dr. Michael Tucker. “This type of technology may prove to be very useful in reducing the number of twins and triplets by selecting a single embryo for transfer that is the most likely to result in the birth of a healthy baby.”

“Not only are we pleased to offer patients the latest laboratory technology,” said Dr. Hill. “We currently have the highest reported live birth rates for donor cycles on the East Coast. We also recognize that the cost of Donor IVF can be a barrier to access for many patients and are proud to offer our Egg Assist™ program to help our patients build healthy families. An exciting benefit of the Embryoscope® is that we can also offer new parents a video record of their baby from conception to the point of embryo transfer.”

Example of videos can be found here.

The Fertility Centers of New England is proud to be at the forefront of advanced infertility treatment and for increasing access to care by providing the most affordable treatment options without compromising quality and results.

Fertility Centers of New England
The Fertility Centers of New England is an international leader in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility. We combine advanced reproductive technologies with a comforting, supportive environment to give patients the personal care they deserve. The Fertility Centers of New England has seven convenient locations for treatment and cycle monitoring throughout New England. We accept all insurance plans and offer a range of options for self-pay patients, including donor oocyte cycles. Patients interested in obtaining additional information about the Fertility Centers of New England and the Embryoscope® may call our center at 877-877-9901 or visit us at online.

Media inquiries: Please contact Brian E. Miller, Ph.D. at millerb@fertilitycenter.com or 781-942-7000 Ext. 631.