MORPHOLOGY-BASED RATING OF EGG DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

自从1978年第一个体外受精婴儿以来，试管婴儿已经为数万对原本不育的夫妇带来了显著的好处。在成功的故事背后，每个周期的成功率只有23%，而且多胎妊娠率很高，带来了巨大的情感、健康和经济成本。目前用于鸡蛋质量评估的辅助生殖技术包括使用霍夫曼显微镜或DIC显微镜对形态进行目视检查，以及一些遗传测试。有令人信服的证据表明，第二相减数分裂纺锤体的形态可以用来评估存活率。然而，用于显示纺锤体形态的常规对比增强技术是侵入性的，与临床试管受精不相容。一种非侵入性地揭示纺锤体形态的成像技术，以及使用形态测量信息预测结果的软件，可能会为减少体外受精过程中的不确定性提供一种重要的新工具。PolScope显微镜的双折射成像通过测量视野中每个图像点的双折射延迟来非侵入性地显示减数分裂纺锤体。我们在第一阶段的目标是确认PolScope通过与荧光共聚焦图像进行比较来准确地揭示纺锤体的形态，并开发多元回归模型来评估PolScope在基于形态测量数据预测试管受精结果方面的作用。拟议的商业应用：如果我们能够证明预测试管受精结果的有效性，那么我们将开发一种商业仪器，帮助对卵子进行分级，这应该会引起美国300家或更多的试管受精诊所以及美国以外的500家或更多试管受精诊所的极大兴趣。我们预计兽医诊所也会对此感兴趣。

Since the first in vitro fertilization baby in 1978, IVF has brought significant benefit to tens of thousands of otherwise infertile couples. Behind the success stories lies a per-cycle success rate of only 23%, and a high rate of multiple gestation, with significant emotional, health and economic costs. Present assisted reproduction techniques for egg quality assessment consist of visual inspection of morphology using Hoffman or DIC microscopy, and some genetic testing. There is compelling evidence that morphology of the phase II meiotic spindle can be used to assess viability. However, conventional contrast-enhancement techniques for revealing spindle morphology are invasive and incompatible with clinical IVF. An imaging technique that reveals spindle morphology non- invasively and software that uses the morphometric information to predict outcome might provide an essential new tool for reducing uncertainty in the IVF process. Birefringence imaging with the PolScope microscope reveals the meiotic spindle non-invasively by measuring birefringent retardation at each image point in the field of view. Our goals in Phase I are to confirm the PolScope accurately reveals spindle morphology by comparing with fluorescence confocal images, and develop multiple regression models to assess the PolScope's utility for predicting IVF outcome based on the morphometric data. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: If we can demonstrate utility for predicting IVF outcome, we will then develop a commercial instrument that would aid in the grading of eggs, which should be of significant interest to the 300 or more IVF clinics in the US, and the 500 or more IVF clinics outside the US. We would also expect interest from veterinarian clinics.