The second generation technology of IVF
IVF technology is a method to help couples who cannot conceive naturally to achieve fertility through assisted reproductive technology. With the continuous development of science and technology, IVF technology is also constantly innovating and making progress. Compared with the first generation, the second generation IVF technology has made more breakthroughs and improvements. This article will elaborate on the second generation IVF technology from four aspects: embryo screening, embryo implantation, embryo culture and sperm selection.
Embryo screening
Embryo screening is an important part of the second generation of IVF technology. Through gene detection of embryos, embryos with abnormal chromosomes can be screened, and the success rate of IVF pregnancy can be improved. At present, many hospitals at home and abroad have begun to use PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis) technology for embryo screening. PGD technology uses embryonic culture cells for gene detection, which can detect chromosome abnormalities, single gene diseases and other genetic diseases. Embryo screening can help couples choose healthy embryos and improve the success rate of IVF.
However, the current PGD technology still has some limitations, unable to cover all genetic diseases, and still has some risks in the accuracy of screening chromosomal abnormal embryos. Therefore, scientists are making continuous efforts to develop more accurate embryo screening technology.
Embryo implantation
Embryo implantation is another important development in the second generation technology of IVF. The traditional embryo implantation technology is to implant multiple embryos into the uterus at the same time, but this method has the problems of low pregnancy rate and high rate of multiple births. In order to improve the pregnancy rate and reduce the risk of multiple births, modern IVF technology has introduced the single embryo implantation technology.
Single embryo implantation technology is to implant only the healthiest single embryo into the uterus after embryo culture and screening. The advantage of this technology is that it can reduce the rate of multiple births and improve the safety of fertility. However, single embryo implantation technology also has certain difficulties, because the accuracy of selecting the best embryo is closely related to the success rate of embryo implantation.
Embryo culture
Embryo culture is an important part of IVF technology. The traditional method of embryo culture is to use liquid medium to maintain the development of embryos in vitro culture dishes. However, this method has some problems, such as the difficulty of controlling the external environment of embryos, and the instability of embryo development quality.
In order to improve the embryo culture environment, scientists have proposed new technologies, such as continuous time culture system (TCS) and microfluidic culture system (MFC). TCS technology cultivates embryos by simulating the temperature, affinity, pressure and other factors of the uterine environment in vivo to improve the quality of embryonic development and pregnancy rate. MFC technology provides nutrition and oxygen for embryos through microfluidic channels, effectively improving the limitations of liquid culture medium, and also improving the quality of embryo development.
Sperm selection
Sperm selection is another important aspect of IVF second generation technology. The selection of sperm can improve the pregnancy rate and the quality of embryonic development. At present, the commonly used sperm selection methods include centrifugation, DNA fragmentation detection and sperm quality index screening.
Centrifuge is the process of centrifuging and layering semen to obtain high-quality sperm. This method can eliminate bad sperm and improve the pregnancy rate. DNA fragmentation detection can evaluate the chromosome integrity and DNA fragmentation degree of sperm, providing more information for sperm selection. Sperm quality index screening is to select high-quality sperm by evaluating sperm density, sperm vitality and other indicators in semen.
Summary
With the continuous development of science and technology, the second generation of IVF technology has made significant breakthroughs in embryo screening, embryo implantation, embryo culture and sperm selection. The application of these technologies not only improves the success rate of IVF, but also reduces the rate of multiple births and the risk of genetic diseases. However, although the second generation technology has made great progress in improving IVF technology, it still faces some challenges and limitations. In order to further improve the effect and success rate of IVF technology, scientists need to constantly innovate and improve these technologies and address the limitations of existing technologies.
