Evaluating Embryo Selection

Evaluating embryo selection. The VISA study.

Will embryo selection through use of artificial intelligence (iDA) perform equally compared to embryologists?

Normally, in IVF, embryos are created in the laboratory and grown for five days before transfer.  On the day of transfer, the embryologist studies the appearances of the embryos and uses a standard grading system to select the embryo with the highest likelihood of success.

We have recently developed a new artificial intelligence tool for assessing embryos to choose the best one for transfer.  However, we don’t know if it will give better results than the embryologist.  We therefore want to compare the two approaches, using a research design called a randomised controlled trial, where the embryo selection technique is allocated at random.

Half of the patients will be randomly allocated to having the embryologist choose the embryo.  Half the patients will be randomly allocated to having iDA, our artificial intelligence system choose the embryo.

It will not affect your treatment in any other way.  Your doctor will still select the best treatment for you to help you get pregnant and the laboratory team will still tailor your treatment to meet your individual needs.

The overall chance of getting pregnant from these embryos will be exactly the same as the embryos themselves will not be any different.

All that will be different between the two groups is the method of choosing the order in which the embryos will be chosen for transfer and we want to find out which one is better.

Can you help us?

If you're interested in finding our more, please contact your clinic or nurse.