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Evaluation of the safety of time-lapse observations for human embryos

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess the effects of light from an integrated optical microscope and evaluate the safety of time-lapse observations using a built-in microscope incubator.

Methods

We prospectively compared the fertilization rate and embryonic morphology after intracytoplasmic sperm injection between embryos cultured with time-lapse observations every 15 min in an incubator with an integrated optical microscope and embryos with intermittent observations (once a day) in conventional incubators.

Results

No significant differences were observed in the fertilization rate (57.5% vs. 57.5%) or the rate of excellent-good cleavage embryos (36.0% vs. 36.0%).

Conclusions

These results suggest that time-lapse observations using an incubator with an integrated optical microscope may therefore be safely utilized in clinical practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan

    Tatsuo Nakahara, Akira Iwase, Maki Goto, Toko Harata, Miki Ienaga, Harumi Kobayashi, Sachiko Takikawa, Shuichi Manabe, Fumitaka Kikkawa & Hisao Ando

  2. Center of Infertility, Toyota Memorial Hospital, Toyota, Japan

    Toko Harata & Miyabi Suzuki

  3. Center for Reproductive Medicine, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan

    Hisao Ando

Authors
  1. Tatsuo Nakahara
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  2. Akira Iwase
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  3. Maki Goto
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  4. Toko Harata
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  5. Miyabi Suzuki
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  6. Miki Ienaga
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  7. Harumi Kobayashi
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  8. Sachiko Takikawa
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  9. Shuichi Manabe
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  10. Fumitaka Kikkawa
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  11. Hisao Ando
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akira Iwase.

Additional information

Capsule The fertilization rate and the embryo grade were similar in regard to the use of conventional observations and time-lapse observations using a built-in microscope incubator.

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Nakahara, T., Iwase, A., Goto, M. et al. Evaluation of the safety of time-lapse observations for human embryos. J Assist Reprod Genet 27, 93–96 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-010-9385-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-010-9385-8

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