Shiene L.

Lanado BSN2E

Artificial Intelligence Selects Embryos to Optimize In-Vitro Fertilization

APRIL 15TH, 2019 MEDGADGET EDITORS INFORMATICS, OB/GYN, REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE

Ever since its advent, in vitro fertilization has relied on trained specialists with a keen eye to select which
embryos look more viable. This is a great responsibility since roughly only half of IVF procedures are
successful. Any improvement of this process would be of great benefit to the expectant parents.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have now developed an computer vision system, powered by
artificial intelligence algorithms, that is able to identify with impressive accuracy whether a given human
embryo will probably make it in the womb.

The system was trained using 12,000 photos of embryos, all photographed exactly 110 hours after
fertilization. Each of the photos was marked with a grade by a trained embryologist, and these grades
went into the system’s learning mechanism to identify the good embryos from the bad. Moreover, the
actual outcome resulting from these embryos was known at the time of the research, so that went into
the system’s assessment as well. The resulting algorithm has shown a 97% consistency with what
humans would decide would be a viable embryo.

“By introducing new technology into the field of IVF we can automate and standardize a process that
was very dependent on subjective human judgement. This pioneering work gives us a window into how
this field might look in the future,” said Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, one of the researchers on the study and
director and physician-in-chief of the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive
Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

More work can certainly improve the system if the researchers are able to train it with ever-larger data
sets, which can certainly be gathered (and anonymized) from institutions around the world. We may one
day see this process become nearly completely automated, with human embryos being selected by
computers, a reality straight out of a science fiction book.

Reaction:

This technology would be of great benefit to the expectant parents because it able to identify with
impressive accuracy whether a given human embryo will probably make it in the womb.

There so much benefits that you can get in IVF, these are some of the following:

 It can be used by anybody. In-vitro fertilization isn’t restricted to the mother of the baby, it can
also be used by surrogate or gestational carriers so a range of people can become parents and
participate in the pregnancy and labor experience.
 Increase your chances of having a healthy baby. Genetic screening is a powerful new
technology that helps to ensure your baby is born healthy.
 Decrease your chances of miscarriage.
 You can use donated eggs and/or sperm.

What most people don’t realize is that IVF can be the first and most successful option for many couples
who battle infertility, or for whom traditional conception and pregnancy aren’t an option – like same-sex
couples or women with infertility diagnoses that make it impossible for the sperm and egg to meet via
non-assisted methods
Shiene L. Lanado BSN2E
Bloomlife and imec Partner to Create Low Power 5-Channel Fetal ECG

MAY 15TH, 2019 MEDGADGET EDITORS OB/GYN, PEDIATRICS

The Belgian research organization imec and Bloomlife, a company that develops pregnancy monitoring
technology, has unveiled a new chip capable of tracking five channels of fetal heart rate ECG
(electrocardiography) along with mobility of the child inside the womb.

The prototype device, dubbed BeatleIC, is capable of detecting fetal ECG as early as 20 weeks into a
pregnancy. This is thanks to its ability to discern peak-to-peak signals of between 3 and 15 µV
(microvolts).

It is a low-power system that is expected to be used by patients and work over extended periods of
time, and as such is expected to operate for up to a week from a single coin cell battery.
The system is being unveiled this week at the FutureSummits event in Antwerp, Belgium. “Our next step
in bringing this technology to market includes a clinical trial to further validate the chip’s measurement
results,” said Eric Dy, CEO of Bloomlife. “And, ultimately, we plan to launch not only a consumer product
– consisting of a sensor device integrated in a wearable patch and a smartphone application – but also a
risk management platform that can be used by medically qualified staff. We are excited about the
significant impact of these advancements as we continue to work towards our mission to bring much
overdue innovation and solutions to help solve the biggest challenges in prenatal care, including
preterm birth.”

Question:

 Can these technology benefit majority of the pregnant women?

 How can this technology benefit the nurses’s role?

Reaction:

Bloomlife contraction tracker monitors real-time uterine activity for contraction frequency, duration,
patterns and trends. This translates into extremely helpful information for you, your partner and your
care team. With this technology it can conserve energy, you can rest at home, rest assured, and know
when the time is right. The bloomlife sensor picks up electrical signals directly from the uterine muscle.
Automated contraction counting and timing, and contraction pattern and trend information so women
can understand what’s happening, gain a sense of how their bodies are preparing for labor, and easily
provide accurate information to their birth team. Rather than moms counting and timing contractions
on their own or with a partner, mundane tasks that can nonetheless be confusing and even irritating
during and between contractions.

A nurse midwife provides support and guidance throughout the birthing process, but with the help of
bloomlife nurses role/duty is a lot more easily. Pregnant women can now monitor contraction by their
own providing accurate information. In this way nurses role lessens and this can benefit nurses.

Bloomlife has developed a better way to move beyond the clunky inconvenient 40-year-old technology
that is used in hospitals today that requires strapping women to beds.