How AI could revolutionise implantation prediction

Fairtility’s Cristina Hickman tells us how AI could change the fertility world and what it would mean for thousands of aspiring parents. 

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. Due to the complexity of the procedure, however, prediction of embryonic implantation prior to IVF is key in decision-making.

The Israeli software company Fairtility aims to maximise IVF outcomes by using AI and computer vision algorithms to analyse morphological and morphokinetic features and provide early, data-driven embryo quality.

“It’s essentially an assistant that supports embryologists and gives them superpowers,” says Dr Cristina Hickman, researcher and embryologist. “Using computer science that highlights the things that we may have missed [in the embryo selection process] is a completely different way of practising biology compared to how we did it before.”

The AI-based system could, in fact, standardise the practice, she explains. “We want patients to get access to the best possible treatment all the time. Very often different embryologists look at different pieces of information. So, the tools that we use will have an impact both in terms of improving our ability to pick the correct embryo, but also in terms of enhancing consistency in practice.

“We already have a number of studies that we’ve done with several different clinics to show how embryologists assess the embryos and how the AI systems assess the embryos,” Hickman continues. “We’re not disagreeing with each other. We just make the whole process faster and consistent, so that over time, we can get to the point where we can bring more cycles per embryologist and make treatments more affordable.”

The other benefit of the algorithm would be a better understanding of the IVF success rates. According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), patients have rated the stress of undergoing IVF as more stressful than or almost as stressful as any other major life event, such as the death of a family member, separation or divorce. “Analysing the embryo would allow us to see any anomalies and see if it has a very low chance of becoming a healthy baby,” says Dr Hickman.

“Within a touch of a button, the embryologist has the ability to share information with the patients directly from the system. For example, they can see images, videos and even summary reports saying how many embryos are fertilised. Therefore, all patients can have this experience of transparency and they can see what the embryologist sees.

“They can also understand the risk of getting a negative result and they don’t have to go through that emotional roller coaster,” the researcher adds. “This means that the patients would be in a better emotional position to go back and do another cycle because they understood this journey a little bit better. Our aim overall is to bring less stress and more stability in this process.”

Dr Hickman argues that the management of expectations of patients is incredibly important in IVF and there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach. “Not everybody has the same chance of pregnancy and this personalisation in the way we deliver information is based on what we know about the embryo.

“Historically, we used to speak to two different patients in exactly the same way,” she says. “But we may have a patient who has a very high chance of pregnancy and one that has a very low chance of pregnancy and therefore, the latter is actually going to suffer more by receiving that super positive feedback.

“The transparency, I think, is crucial to that relationship between the facility professional and the patient. While it might seem harsh to provide the full information upfront, in my experience the patients feels more comforted and they trust us more.”

Hickman would like to see a future where the patient is entitled to receive all the information they need in order to decide how best to move forward.

“What we’ve seen up to now is the embryologist saying: ‘I will overlay what my needs are into patients and make my best guess of what’s best for them’. But that has to change and we need to get to the point where the patient is engaged and empowered, not taking a back seat,” she adds.

“That fluidity of information will give them more energy to be able to go through the entire journey, even through the disappointing aspects of it, because they’ve participated in the whole process. And this is very much the direction where Fairtility is going.”

For more information, visit fairtility.com