Evaluating Eeva for predicting blastocyst formation for early embryo transfer

This study investigated the use of Eeva (Early Embryo Viability Assessment) software for early prediction of a usable blastocyst by day 3 of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

During IVF, embryos are transferred back into the uterus three to five days after fertilization. Waiting until day 5 (the blastocyst formation stage) allows for better embryo selection, which increases the chances of successful implantation and pregnancy. Blastocyst stage transfer is also associated with a significant reduction in the rate of multiple gestations (twin pregnancies). On the other hand, evidence suggests that prolonged embryo culturing may increase the risk of fetal disorders, preterm delivery and low birth weight.

This study evaluated the use of Eeva (Early Embryo Viability Assessment), a non-invasive test combining time-lapse image analysis with cell-tracking software, in predicting blastocyst formation by day 3 of embryo development.

This study evaluated embryos from 160 women undergoing IVF in 5 fertility clinics across the United States. Eeva was used to measure early embryo development and generate blastocyst predictions by day 3 of development. The accuracy of expert embryology lab directors in predicting usable blastocyst formation on day 3 was compared with and without the use of Eeva.

Two independent prediction sessions were assessed. During the first session, embryologists were shown data including the morphology of embryos on day 3 and donor age. During the second prediction session, the same embryologists were given the same day 3 morphology data, supplemented with Eeva predictions.

On average, the use of Eeva increased the accuracy of unusable embryo predictions from 60.3% to 85.6%. The chances of correctly predicting the formation of a usable embryo was increased from 45.8% to 54.6% using supplemental data from Eeva. The use of Eeva generated predictions was also found to be associated with a significant reduction in variability among the predictions of different embryologists.

This study concluded that Eeva generated predictions in combination with day 3 morphology assessment significantly improves the ability to identify embryos that would reach the usable blastocyst stage, and may therefore improve the success rate of early embryo transfer.

This study was funded by Auxogyn Inc. which developed Early Embryo Viability Assessment.