MedPath

Co-incubation of Oocytes With Sperm: Defining the Optimal Incubation Time

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Infertility
Interventions
Other: overnight exposure to sperm for IVF
Other: 2h exposure to sperm for IVF
Registration Number
NCT04627545
Lead Sponsor
ART Fertility Clinics LLC
Brief Summary

The current pilot study aims to evaluate the fertilization rates between sibling oocytes subjected to short incubation (2h) versus overnight incubation (16-20h). As secondary objectives, the abnormal fertilization, embryo development, blastocyst biopsy and euploid rates will be analyzed.

Detailed Description

All patients for whom at least 6 cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) are assigned to IVF, with normal sperm parameters, are eligible for the study. An electronically generated randomization list will allocate the first half of the oocytes to one arm and the other half of the oocytes to the second arm. In case an odd number of oocytes will be inseminated, one extra oocyte will be allocated to the first arm. In this prospective observational pilot study, the fertilization potential of 40 patients will be evaluated.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
55
Inclusion Criteria
  • Sperm parameters

    • Sperm concentration before capacitation: >15 million per ml (WHO) Total motility (PR+NP %): >40 (WHO) Progressive motility (PR %):>32 (WHO)
    • Sperm concentration after capacitation: >0.6 million per ml (not WHO defined) Progressive motility (PR %):>65 (WHO)
  • ≥6 COCs assigned to IVF

  • BMI ≤35 kg/m2

  • Female age 18 to ≤ 43 years

  • All ovarian stimulation protocols

  • Fresh ejaculates

  • Abstinence duration 2-5 days

  • Presence or absence of sperm morphology data: as we do not have a diagnostic sperm analysis for all patients, the presence or absence of >4% normal morphology (WHO) will not be taken into account, even with known low (<4%) normal morphology

  • Couples requesting Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies

  • Arab population

Exclusion Criteria
  • If the volume to be added after IVF is insufficient to perform IVF on all needed oocytes
  • Presence of >1 million per ml round cells in the ejaculate
  • If a couple's previous cycle was included in the study
  • Previous history of fertilization failure or <50% fertilisation
  • Globozoospermia
  • PCO according to the Rotterdam criteria
  • Progesterone >1.5 ng/ml on the day of trigger

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
IVF: overnight exposureovernight exposure to sperm for IVFHalf of a patients' oocytes will be subjected to overnight incubation with sperm (=usual practice).
IVF: 2h exposure2h exposure to sperm for IVFHalf of a patients' oocytes will be subjected to 2h exposure to sperm
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Normal fertilization rate2 days

presence of two pronuclei per inseminated oocyte

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Day of trophectoderm biopsy8 days

Day at which the blastocyst reaches sufficient expansion to perform biopsy of trophectoderm cells

Maturation rate2 days

number of mature oocytes obtained in each arm

Total fertilization failure3 days

Number of cycles with complete fertilization failure (in one arm or in both arms)

blastulation rate I8 days

number of embryos reaching at least the BL1 stage/ number of oocytes assigned to that group: defined by a 1 (yes, the embryo is blastulating) or 0 (no, the embryo is not blastulating)

Number of COCs assigned to each group2 days

number of oocytes, per patient, assigned to each exposure group

blastulation rate II8 days

number of embryos reaching at least the BL1 stage/ number of mature oocytes in that group: defined by a 1 (yes, the embryo is blastulating) or 0 (no, the embryo is not blastulating)

Euploid rate8 days

Number of genetically normal embryos per total number of blastocysts biopsied, stratified per day of biopsy

Clinical pregnancy Fetal Heart beat positive80 days

dichotomous variable defined by the ultrasonographic visualization of one or more gestational sacs, with fetal heart beat at 7 weeks.

Fertilization3 days

Number of abnormally fertilized oocytes and failed fertilization

Embryo quality on day 35 days

defined by the Istanbul consensus (Alpha Scientists, 2011) The number of blastomeres and their division pattern, fragmentation, presence of compaction, vacuoles, granulation and nuclei will divide the embryos into 3 categories: good, fair or poor

Utilization rate8 days

number of embryos that can be used for the patient (=number of embryos that can be biopsied)/number of oocytes assigned to the group

Morphokinetic parameters10 days

As embryos will be monitored in a time lapse imaging system, morphokinetic parameters will be compared between both exposure arms: o t2: the timing to two cells

* t3: the timing to three cells

* t4: the timing to four cells

* t5: the timing to five cells

* t8: the timing to eight cells

* SC: starting to compact

* M: the timing to morula

* SB: starting to blastulate

* B: reaching a BL3 according to Gardner and Schoolcraft, 1999

* F: reaching a BL4 according to Gardner and Schoolcraft, 1999

* cc2: t3-t2

* s2: t4-t3

Embryo quality on day 58 days

defined by a modified model of Gardner and Schoolcraft,1999

Pregnancy outcome60 days

dichotomous variable defined by the presence of βhCG test of \> 15IU 12-15 days after embryo transfer

Biochemical pregnancy70 days

dichotomous variable defined as a pregnancy in which the hCG levels start do decrease after 1 week

Implantation rate80 days

defined by the number of gestational sacs/number of embryos transferred

• Clinical pregnancy (yes or no) defined by the ultrasonographic visualization of one or more gestational sacs, including ectopic pregnancies

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

ART Fertility Clinics

🇦🇪

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath