During the time of puberty in females, out of 60,000 to 80,000 available primary oocytes, only 400 of them gets a chance to form a mature oocyte. Only one of the mature oocyte out of the 400 will be released every month which can get fertilized when it comes in contact with the sperm. [2]
How does all this happen?
The hypothalamus produces a hormone called the gonadotropin-releasing hormone or GnRH. GnRH stimulates the anterior lobe of the pituitary to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).FSH travels to the ovaries and stimulates a group of follicles to grow, were one of them will survive and become a mature follicle, the rest die.
FSH triggers the stimulation of the follicles
FSH stimulates estrogen production. The increasing level of estrogen acts on the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary to increase the level of GnRH and induce the production of another hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH). [3]
FSH triggers the production of estrogen
A surge in LH secretion triggers ovulation – the release of the egg from the follicle and the ovary.
Release of mature oocyte
Fertilization by a spermatozoon, when it occurs, usually takes place in the ampulla, the widest section of the Fallopian tube. The fertilized egg immediately begins the process of development while travelling toward the uterus.
References:
Textbook of medical physiology, 11th edition , Arthur C. Guyton and John E. Hall.
Super-Ovulation:
Naturally, in each ovarian cycle one follicle becomes mature and gets ready for fertilization. Now women who have infertility problem and is going to undergo IVF, FSH are given as subcutaneous (under the skin) injection that will regulate ovulation, the growth and development of eggs in the ovaries.[4]
Administration of FSH for Ovarian follicle stimulation
Trans-vaginal Ultrasound:
After FSH treatment, ultrasound scans are needed to monitor the response of the follicles growth in the ovaries. The growth of the follicles is assessed by observing their increase in size using a trans-vaginal ultrasound.[4]
Trans-vaginal Ultrasound
If the follicles seen on the scan is in the range of 16 mm to 20 mm in size, then the trigger shot is given as mentioned in the next step. This hormone initiates the final maturation and release of the eggs. This mimics the LH surge that stimulates ovulation during normal cycle.
Taking a hCG shot:
The next step in IVF treatment is triggering the oocyte for the last stage of maturation, before retrieval. This last growth is triggered with an injection. This is also called the “hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) Trigger shot”.[4]
hCG trigger shot
The injection is given when the follicles have grown in range of 16 to 20 mm in size. This shot is typically a one-time injection.
Going for the Gold- Retrieval of Eggs:
About 34 to 36 hours after the “trigger shot” is received, the egg retrieval or ovum pick up will take place.
Expecting couples should be familiar with a wide range of topics related to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Some common topics that expecting couples may want to learn about include:
Prenatal care: This includes regular check-ups with a healthcare provider, as well as recommended tests and screenings during pregnancy.
Nutrition and exercise during pregnancy: It is important for expecting mothers to maintain a healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity to support the health and development of the baby.
Labor and delivery: Expecting couples should learn about the different stages of labor and what to expect during childbirth. They may also want to consider their options for pain management during labor.
Postpartum care: After the baby is born, couples should be aware of the physical and emotional changes that can occur, as well as how to care for the newborn.
Breastfeeding: Many couples may choose to breastfeed their newborn, and it is important to learn about the benefits of breastfeeding and how to properly latch and feed the baby.
Infant care: Expecting couples should also be familiar with basic infant care tasks, such as changing diapers, bathing the baby, and feeding.
Parenting styles and philosophies: Couples may want to consider their approaches to parenting and the values and beliefs that they want to instill in their child.
It is also important for expecting couples to seek out reliable sources of information and to discuss any questions or concerns with a healthcare provider.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in here is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not rely on the information provided here for decision-making or self-treatment. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, seek immediate medical attention.
Spermatozoa(sperm) is composed of a head and a tail. The head comprises the condensed nucleus of the cell with only a thin cytoplasmic and cell membrane layer around its surface. On the outside of the anterior two thirds of the head is a thick cap called the acrosome that is formed mainly from the Golgi apparatus. This contains a number of enzymes including hyaluronidase (it can digest proteoglycan filaments of tissues) and powerful proteolytic enzymes (it can digest proteins). These enzymes play important roles in allowing the sperm to enter ovum and fertilization to happen.
Structure of a Human Sperm
The tail of the sperm, called the flagellum has three major components: (1) a central skeleton constructed of 11 microtubules, collectively called the axoneme (2) A thin cell membrane covering the axoneme and (3) A collection of mitochondria surrounding the axoneme in the proximal portion of the tail (called the body of tail).
Back and forth movement provided motility for the sperm. The movement results from a rhythmical longitudinal sliding motion between the anterior and posterior tubules that make up the axoneme. The energy for this process is supplied in the form of ATP synthesized by mitochondria in body of tail.
Normal sperm move in fluid medium at a velocity of 1 to 4 mm/min.
References:
Textbook of medical physiology, 11th edition , Arthur C. Guyton and John E. Hall.
SpOvum is delighted to be selected as one of the 12 companies selected across India by the Wadhwani Foundation for their prestigious “Venture Fast Track” accelerator programme.
This gives us access to mentors and support network from industry expers in various domains.
This is a continuation of SpOvum’s continued efforts in becoming the best, and brining the best to our partners.
There is a lot of procedure that has to be followed before the ICSI process. In the initial stage female are given drugs to boost the egg supply by taking fertility hormone called as gonadotrophin. This increases the number of eggs produced. Some women experience ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS) because of the hormone stimulating drug.
If the eggs are produced in an increased amount this will lead to low ovarian reserve. RoboICSI can predict the egg state and stability at the oocyte retrieval stage. This will reduce the dosage of the hormones given to female for increasing the egg count. Eggs collected can also be reduced as we will know the properties of eggs way before the ICSI process.
Quicker way to ace ICSI
Novice embryologists:
The conventional ICSI needs a lot of patience and dexterity. A novice embryologists find it challenging to fix and align the holding pipette. They may tend to break the holding pipette which is made up of glass if it is got closer to the ICSI plate. The precise plane should be achieved without breaking the holding pipette. The broken pieces will be hazardous if found in the ICSI plate. The entire plate has to be then disposed which will also contain the eggs.
The amount of pressure given to hold the egg is also a very important parameter. If too much pressure is given then the eggs might get damaged or ICSI will fail if there is no enough pressure applied.
RoboICSI is made up of a soft and bio compatible material that will be in contact with the eggs during the ICSI process. It is a not fragile which will not break even if it touches the ICSI plate which makes the embryologist to on-board easily with RoboICSI.
Say Bye to the suction pump which controls the pressure in conventional ICSI because RoboICSI works on a NO-PRESSURE method. Even if more actuation than required is given to grip the eggs there will be no damage caused to the eggs which has been proven by RoboICSI.
Spend Less, Earn More
IVF Clinics:
RoboICSI will be replacing the entire left manipulator with more efficient and compatible setup for a much lower cost compared to the present manipulators in clinics. Thus, will reduce the money spent by the clinics on purchasing the manipulators.
RoboICSI can handle more samples in fewer time which means more cases for a day.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an ART involving the injection of a single sperm into the cytoplasm of an oocyte to achieve fertilization. It is mainly performed for the treatment of couples with male factor infertility and those with poor fertilization with conventional IVF.
ICSI is the only treatment option for couples with severe male factor infertility. It can be performed with ejaculated or surgically retrieved sperm.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), according to WHO, refers to infertility treatments where both eggs (oocytes) and sperm are handled ex-vivo to achieve pregnancy. In conventional ART procedures, the oocytes and sperms are combined in a laboratory ex vivo (i.e. outside the human body) and the resulting embryo (mature and fertilized oocyte) is implanted back into a woman.
Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system caused due to the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse [1]. In simpler words, it is the state of not being able to produce offspring. In female, it is the inability to conceive, and in male it is the inability to impregnate.
The four major causes for infertility can be classified into:
male factor
female factor
combined male and female factor
unexplained
Approximately 40% of infertility cases are due to female factor, 40% due to male factor, and 20% due to a combination of both.
According to the 2017 statistical analysis, in India there are about 30 million couples with infertility as shown in the following Figure.
