Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Quantitative oocyte imaging to improve egg viability assessment and enable spindle visualization
The visibility and location of the oocyte spindle have been shown to correlate with increased fertilization and embryo developmental potential, making the presence and orientation of a spindle a good marker for egg viability. Also important to egg viability is the molecular construct of the inner layer of the zona pellucida. CRi’s Oosight Imaging System is uniquely capable of providing high-contrast quantitative images of the spindle and tri-laminar zona pellucida without the use of exogenous dyes or labels. Data show that the CRi’s Oosight system, currently used in hundreds of assisted reproductive technology (ART) labs worldwide, have helped to improve success rates of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and related applications.
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Image 1: Human embryo with multipolar spindle. (D Hlinka Pronatal)
Image 2: Human MII oocyte in retardance pseudocolor. (RMA NJ)
Image 3: Human MII oocyte with SpindleFinder™ retardance overlay. (RMA NJ)
Series of Human oocytes: first in series shows a strongly birefringent, normal barrel-shaped spindle versus the second, which has an abnormal, tri-polar spindle. The third image is of an immature human oocyte in Meiosis I showing an extruded polar body with a bisecting prominent MI spindle. Fourth and fifth in the series are MII oocytes with a normal zona architecture versus one with an abnormal architecture, respectively. Finally, an MII oocyte is shown with egg metrics identified.
Images courtesy RMA NJ.
