Future perspectives of non-invasive techniques for evaluating oocyte and embryo quality

Abstract

Despite significant advancements in assisted reproductive technology, there is still high demand for improvements in the clinical pregnancy rate and reductions in the time needed to achieve a live birth. One bottleneck issue is the effective selection of oocytes and/or embryos of better quality in the laboratory. The quality of oocytes and embryos cannot be accurately assessed with routine clinical methods. Thus, assessment methods that are more objective, accurate, quantifiable, non-invasive, rapid, and repeatable are needed in the clinic. This perspective highlights the latest developments in non-invasive assessments of oocyte and embryo quality and presents new trends and insights into the biomedical engineering technologies used to evaluate oocyte and embryo quality.