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How Polarized Light Can Assist Embryologists in Clinical Routines

Polarized light microscopy is a contrast-enhancing technique that enables researchers to study the birefringence of key structures within living cells. In assisted reproduction, polarized light was proposed to assess structures such as the meiotic spindle, zona pellucida, or sperm acrosome, with the aim to help embryologists select oocytes and spermatozoa with the greatest potential to produce a pregnancy.

Recently, the development of new equipment that facilitates the use of polarized light and its implementation within the in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory routine has led to renewed interest in using this tool. In this webinar, we’ll review how polarized light can assist embryologists in different research and clinical applications.

Join this webinar to learn about:

  • How to use polarized light to detect the presence and location of the meiotic spindle in human metaphase-II before intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
  • Assessment of spindle dynamics to investigate the timing of the meiotic cell cycle within in vitro maturation (IVM) oocytes, as well as in cryopreserved derived oocytes
  • Assessment of the inner layer of the zona pellucida as a prognostic marker for oocyte quality
  • Selection of human spermatozoa for ICSI
  • Polarized light as a tool for quality assessment of laboratory parameters
  • Using polarized light in nuclear transfer procedures
Experts
Dr. Nuno Costa-Borges
Embryologist and Co-founder of Embryotools

Nuno Costa-Borges is devoted to offering quality control (QC) tests, training, and consulting services to the IVF community worldwide. With over 18 years’ experience, Nuno completed a PhD focused on improving animal cloning efficiency before joining IVI Barcelona as a clinical embryologist. Now, as cofounder and scientific director of Embryotools, Nuno is committed to developing new IVF techniques, which have led to the world’s first babies via maternal spindle transfer for infertility and to the development of the first robotic system for intracytoplasmic sperm injection successfully tested clinically.

How Polarized Light Can Assist Embryologists in Clinical RoutinesOct 06 2024
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