World's First Baby Born Through Fully Automated, Remotely Operated IVF Procedure

The world’s first baby was born following conception using a fully automated, digitally controlled intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) system. The system automates each of the 23 steps of the standard ICSI procedure, either under artificial intelligence (AI) control or under the digital control of a remote operator. The automated process promises to enhance precision, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent outcomes through reduced variability and work-related stress on human operators. Additionally, the automated method might help maximise injection timing and increase egg survival. With improvements in sperm and egg selection, artificial intelligence has made notable changes in the IVF lab.

The newest technique applies artificial intelligence to guide the microinjection inside the egg and position the sperm cell in the injection pipette. The successful birth occurred at Hope IVF Mexico in Guadalajara in a 40-year-old woman referred for treatment using donated eggs. The safe performance of the system in a study including additional patients will determine its validity in a broader therapy application.

Breakthrough Birth: IVF Baby Conceived by Remote-Controlled Robots

According to the report, the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) process was mostly finished by remotely controlled robots. The embryo came via ICSI, initially established in the 1990s using IVF methods. ICSI involves injecting one sperm cell directly into an egg, while conventional IVF places an egg cell in a dish with thousands of sperm. When a man is infertile, this approach helps since the sperm could find it difficult to reach the egg without intervention.

AI System Automates Entire IVF Fertilisation Process

A team at Conceivable Life Sciences, a fertility biotech startup with offices in New York City, developed the technology automating the procedure. From identifying the best sperm to injecting it into an egg to deciding on the most viable embryos, the researchers created a system able to finish the 23 stages required in ICSI. Based on the morphology of the sperm cells, an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm helps the automated system select the optimal sperm to inject into the egg. A second artificial intelligence algorithm selects the most appropriate embryos based on their chromosome appearance and chances of implanting in the uterine wall.

While the conventional procedure clocks in at 1 minute and 22 seconds on average, the automated ICSI method takes more time—an average of 9 minutes and 56 seconds—for every egg. In this experiment, the scientists used eight egg cells total—five fertilised using the new method and three using hand ICSI. The automated system produced four embryos from the five eggs, even though the three eggs in the hand group were all successfully fertilised.