Time Lapse Imaging (TLI) may be an exciting new technology for embryo selection. However, it is very expensive and current evidence does not support TLI’s superiority over classical morphology, according to Dr. George Kofinas of Kofinas Fertility Institute.
Classical morphology for embryo selection for transfer is an embryo development procedure that has been proven to show a clear correlation between embryo morphology and viability for pregnancy.
Classical morphology technology for embryo selection has been well established and extensively documented in today’s scientific literature.
Morphometry by Time Lapse Imaging
Morphometry by Time Lapse Imaging (TLI) is a very new technology that embryologists and clinicians can use to select the most suitable embryos for transfer into the patient’s uterus in conjunction with the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process.
TLI records images of the development of the preimplantation embryo through videography capturing transitions unobservable through the traditional circadian snapshot embryo assessment.
A benefit of the TLI embryo development process is that it reduces the embryo’s environmental exposure and fluctuations caused by repeated removal of the embryo from its incubator for observation and scoring.
TLI Markers of Development
TLI markers have recently been used to predict various endpoints – including:
- Development of the embryo to the blastocyst stage
- Implantation potential
- Live-birth prediction
- Ploidy prediction
Dr. George Kofinas on the Costs vs. Benefits of TMI
TMI is a new technology that is being developed for embryo selection with the goal of assisting women who are undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments achieve a better chance of pregnancy while at the same time reducing the risk of a multiple pregnancy.
However, Dr. George Kofinas – a doctor who has specialized in the practice of ART for over 28 years – prefers classical morphology (over TMI) because classical morphology is a cost-effective and proven method of monitoring and scoring the development of his patients’ embryos in conjunction with the IVF procedure.
Dr. Kofinas cautions patients undergoing infertility treatments through ART that TMI technology is not developed to the point of being conclusively superior over today’s classical morphology.
It is Dr. Kofinas’ professional opinion that TMI is not cost effective for patients although it may be shown to be a reliable and efficient test of an embryo’s predictive viability and pregnancy success or failure.
To receive more information on why TMI is not a cost-effective and superior technology over classical morphology for embryo selection, contact Kofinas Fertility Institute.