US 2017/0283754 A1 · EMBRYO ASSESSMENT

Abstract

A method of ranking embryos to indicate their development potential. The method comprises: obtaining values for a plurality of characteristics relating to the morphological development of the embryos during an observation period; determining for respective ones of the embryos whether or not the embryo has undergone a direct cleavage event, and ranking the embryos determined to have undergone a direct cleavage event with a ranking that indicates a lower development potential than for the embryos not determined to have undergone a direct cleavage event; and for the embryos not determined to have undergone a direct cleavage event, determining whether or not a duration of a predefined developmental stage for the embryo exceeds a predefined threshold duration, and ranking embryos for which the duration of the predefined developmental stage is determined to exceed the predefined threshold duration with a ranking that indicates a lower development potential than for the embryos for which the duration of the predefined developmental stage is not determined to exceed the predefined threshold duration; and for the embryos for which the duration of the predefined developmental stage is not determined to exceed the predefined threshold duration, determining whether or not the relative durations of two predefined developmental stages for the embryo is outside a predefined range, and ranking embryos for which the relative durations of two predefined developmental stages for the embryo is outside a predefined range with a ranking that indicates a lower development potential than for the embryos for which the relative durations of two predefined developmental stages for the embryo is not outside the predefined range.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of ranking embryos to indicate their development potential;

the method comprising:
obtaining values for a plurality of characteristics relating to the morphological development of the embryos during an observation period;
determining for respective ones of the embryos a measure of whether or not the embryo has undergone a direct cleavage event, and ranking the embryos determined to have undergone a direct cleavage event with a ranking that indicates a lower development potential than for the embryos not determined to have undergone a direct cleavage event;
and
for the embryos not determined to have undergone a direct cleavage event, determining whether or not a measure of a duration of a predefined developmental stage for the embryo exceeds a predefined threshold duration, and ranking embryos for which the duration of the predefined developmental stage is determined to exceed the predefined threshold duration with a ranking that indicates a lower development potential than for the embryos for which the duration of the predefined developmental stage is not determined to exceed the predefined threshold duration;
and
for the embryos for which the duration of the predefined developmental stage is not determined to exceed the predefined threshold duration, determining whether or not a measure of a relative duration of a first predefined developmental stage for the embryo with respect to a second predefined developmental stage for the embryo is outside a predefined range, and ranking embryos for which the relative duration is outside the predefined range with a ranking that indicates a lower development potential than for the embryos for which the relative duration of is not outside the predefined range.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Embryo assessment

Life of this patent

Embryo assessment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18