Understanding the different types of ART used in Fertility Treatments

1998 – A remarkable year of scientific advancements and achievements for India as it successfully conducted Pokhran-II tests at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. In remembrance of this historic event, every year, May 11 National Technology Day is observed.

May 11 National Technology Day commemorates the series of 5 nuclear bomb explosions that happened in 1998. Scientific and technological achievements have improved our quality of life immensely, thanks to the great minds of scientists and researchers. Compare yourself to your ancestors, and you will be shocked to realise that science and technology have touched every aspect of your life, including healthcare. This National Technology Day 2023, let us know in brief how modern science has opened the doors to effective and successful fertility care for people. 

What is ART?

ART stands for Assisted Reproductive Technology – which is an umbrella term used to indicate all types of fertility treatment wherein the female gametes (eggs) and embryos are handled. ART involves all procedures that assist infertile couples to conceive through egg retrieval, mixing the female eggs with sperm in a laboratory set-up, transferring it back to the woman’s uterus, etc. Based on the complexity or severity of a couple’s fertility factors, a doctor may recommend them a suitable ART procedure. The most popular techniques of Assisted Reproductive Technology include – 

• IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation)
• IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)
• ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection)
• Cryopreservation
• Use of fertility injections or reproductive medications, etc. among others. 

ART treatment is also commonly referred to as fertility treatment and has proven to be a game-changer in helping couples struggling with male infertility, female infertility, or unexplained causes of infertility to easily conceive and step into parenthood. 

How has ART helped in increasing pregnancy chances?

The introduction of ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) practices and modern technology has revolutionised the ways of infertility treatment. It has replaced illogical beliefs with scientific, evidence-based practices and clinical methodologies. Today, couples who are struggling to conceive despite keeping physical relations for more than a year can use techniques of Assisted Reproductive Technology like IVF, IUI, ICSI, etc. to embrace parenthood. 

This has proven to give them better and faster results in comparison to trying home remedies or any other non-medical methods. Though improving your lifestyle through a good diet and regular exercising, creating a stress-free environment for yourself, staying positive, etc. may have an impact on your fertility rate, they are usually more effective when done in addition to undergoing advanced ART practices. 

What is the difference between ART and IVF?

Many a time, people use the words ART and IVF interchangeably. But there is a difference between the two. IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation (test tube baby) procedure is a type of ART procedure. On the other hand, Assisted Reproductive Technology includes several fertility treatments like IUI, ICSI, cryopreservation of eggs, embryos, etc. 

When a couple facing difficulty getting pregnant meet a fertility specialist, and the doctor will suggest to them a suitable ART procedure. Nowadays, due to the emergence of new technology and advanced practices, ART procedures like egg freezing, embryo freezing, etc. have become convenient tools to preserve genetically good and healthy gametes at a young age and use them to conceive at an advanced age.

Different Types of Assisted Reproductive Technology at Indira IVF

Indira IVF is India’s largest fertility chain expert with 115+ centres pan-India and 1,25,000+ successful IVF pregnancies. Our Assisted Reproductive Technology includes –

1. IVF:

IVF is also popularly known as a test tube baby procedure. Here, the egg and sperm are collected from the female and male partners and are kept together in a petri dish in a laboratory set-up. This provides a better environment for the sperm to fertilise the egg and develop an embryo. The embryo is later transferred to the female’s uterus. 

2. ICSI:

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is an even more advanced procedure where healthy sperm is collected and injected into the egg. Like IVF, here the sperm and eggs are retrieved, and the ART procedure is done in a laboratory. Here, through injection, the sperm is deliberately penetrated through the outer layer of the egg. This helps sperm with poor motility easily fertilise the egg.

3. IUI:

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is done by collecting and washing the sperm and then injecting it into the uterus of the female around her time of ovulation. The sperm then swims to the egg and fertilises it naturally.

Best technologies used at Indira IVF

Indira IVF’s cutting-edge technology along with different types of Assisted Reproductive Technology procedures is the backbone of its high success rate. It has been able to successfully complete more than 1,25,000 IVF pregnancies due to its expert doctors and their enhanced fertility solutions through high-end technology. Our state-of-the-art infrastructure includes:

1. Closed Working Chambers Technology:

During the natural fertilisation process, the egg and sperm meet inside the woman’s body (in the fallopian tube) and an embryo is formed. This embryo then gets implanted into the uterus lining and starts growing in a protected and naturally conducive environment. 

To get success in an ART IVF or ICSI, it is important to recreate a womb-like setup for the egg, sperm, or embryo to survive and grow well. This is where the Closed Working Chamber Technology is used at Indira IVF. 

Our EmCell Closed Working Chambers are imported from Australia and regularise the CO2 levels, temperature, humidity, etc. and provide a VOC-free atmosphere. These microscopic workstations have High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) and charcoal-based filters to ensure 37 degrees Celsius and 6% CO2 levels that are considered optimum. 

2. World Class Laboratories:

Indira IVF aims at providing the best fertility treatment available globally, in India. We have developed high-tech embryology laboratories that match international standards. Our world-class labs have in-built security and alert systems that notify our experts about any deviation from optimal conditions. 

Indira IVF is also equipped with smaller incubators for the rapid restoration of womb-like temperature and humidity, quick access and real-time checks and updates to staff members through web and mobile transmission.  

The use of such modern technology in ART treatment helps us critically to avoid any human errors or discrepancies and allows us to give constant care in culturing the best-quality embryos.

3. Electronic Witnessing System:

How to avoid sample mix-ups during an ART cycle? Our state-of-the-art Electronic Witnessing System provides a dependable answer to this question. This system, also called RI witness technology, works by assigning RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to the patient’s sample. This unique identification provided to the embryologist in charge and the patient helps to track end-to-end information about the patient and the samples collected for processing.

In addition to this, RFID also ensures no sample mix-ups, automates cross-checking, eliminates any chances of human errors, and allows embryologists to work on multiple ART cycles to guarantee a safe procedure for each patient. 

Apart from monitoring every step of the ART procedure, the RFID chip can expertly recognise the samples collected from each patient and match them with their partner’s sample. As soon as the samples of different couples are brought within a 1 or 1.5-foot radius, RFID detects this immediately and blocks any further procedures, screening, etc. and auto-locks itself and senior personnel must intervene to unlock the system.   

4. 24*7 Monitoring:

At Indira IVF, we take complete responsibility to provide maximum care and protection to help patients complete their ART procedures successfully. This is made possible through our 24*7 monitoring system that allows our staff to constantly monitor the functioning of machines and equipment and stay updated about any changes in the laboratory set-up, even from the comfort of their homes. 

Our IoT (Internet of Things) based technology always equips Indira IVF laboratories with data accuracy and accessibility, dual checkpoints, intelligent alarm systems, automated alert messages/notifications, etc. This is critical as the female and male gametes as well as the embryos are highly sensitive to any change in the atmosphere. 

Even a minor default in the lab setup below acceptable levels will be alerted to the technician immediately through SMS, calls, emails, etc. to facilitate the immediate restoration of optimum conditions. This helps us efficiently culture excellent-quality embryos that can lead to pregnancy.

5. Microfluidic Sperm Sorter Technique:

As the name suggests, Microfluidic Sperm Sorter Technique is a way of identifying and separating healthy spermatozoa from the rest and using it for an ICSI or IVF procedure. This technology greatly aids those who suffer from teratozoospermia (inability to produce enough structurally normal sperm), higher DFI (DNA Fragmentation Index), and other male infertility problems.

This technology is based on the principle called Microfluids and requires fertility doctors to select sperm that show a high grade of forward motility. According to the principle of Microfluidics such sperm will increase the success rate of ART procedures. 

6. Non-Invasive PGT:

This futuristic technology helps bypass the traditional foetal biopsy method for checking chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo. Instead of invasive Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing, this procedure is carried out by performing genetic testing on the free DNA material generated as a part of an ART cycle.

Through analysis of the DNA found in the culture material, our fertility experts can easily look for any possible chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo before transfer or implantation.

Soon, the adaptation of niPGT in fertility treatment will increase the accuracy and success of ART procedures while also making them cost-efficient.  

7. Advanced Incubators:

An incubator acts as a makeshift home for fertilisation and development of the embryo. Hence, it is important to provide the best environmental conditions within the incubators during the ART procedures. 

While many fertility clinics still use traditional incubators that have limitations in size and storage, Indira IVF uses advanced incubators that can store embryos in good condition for longer durations. These units are designed to keep the temperature controlled to 37 degrees Celsius with 5% CO2, the right pH level, and 100% relative humidity. This makes ART procedures very effective and highly successful.

8. Artificial Intelligence: 

Artificial Intelligence has modernized the way ART procedures are performed today. With the intervention of AI and Machine Learning, gynaecologists and clinical embryologists get expert assistance in grading embryos and selecting only those which show a high potential of resulting in a successful pregnancy. 

In addition to helping evaluate the quality of eggs, sperm, and embryo, AI has also proven helpful in developing customised treatment plans for patients, increasing accuracy manifolds, avoiding human bias or errors, etc. Through AI and Machine Learning procedures, Indira IVF has achieved a high success rate of 74%*. 

On May 11 National Technology Day, 2023, let’s appreciate that modern tools and technology have become an inseparable part of human life, especially in helping them get top-class fertility treatment. While choosing a fertility clinic it is important that couples look for advanced ART centres that are not caught up with traditional treatment methods but are rather putting modern technology to its best use to help infertile couples get parenthood success.

To know more about ART procedures at Indira IVF, get in touch with us today. Call 18003092323.