HYLIGHT project

Hyperspectral imaging for embryo selection

Infertility is a condition affecting one out of seven couples in Europe.
To overcome these difficulties, those who desire to become parents usually turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques, a path often hard and unsuccessful. Despite the technical advances developed in the last decades, the mean successful rate of an IVF treatment, that is, the number of initial transferred embryos leading to a live birth is relatively low (30%), and repeated unsuccessful IVF cycles imply a significant emotional, physical, and financial burden for women and couples.

The HYLIGHT project will build on the technology established in the ATTRACT phase 1 by further developing a non-invasive diagnostic device for human embryos from the Proof-of-Concept stage to a prototype already integrated in the routine of a reproductive clinic

HYLIGHT AT A GLANCE

Samuel Ojosnegros, HYLIGHT coordinator at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), talks about the project in this ATTRACT stories video.

Improving embryo selection, i.e., identifying the single embryo with the highest reproductive potential will reduce the time to pregnancy and will therefore ease the psychological distress in patients after multiple unsuccessful IVF treatments.

The HYLIGHT TECHNOLOGY​

This diagnostic device combines hyperspectral analysis with artificial intelligence, that allows embryo classification based on their metabolic profiles, taking advantage of the natural auto-fluorescence of key cellular compounds, such as NADH or FADH. The advantage of this new approach is that embryos are classified in a safe non-invasive way, minimizing damage.

CONSORTIUM

NEWS & EVENTS