The secret life of an embryo

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(CNN) -- It is estimated that around one in four couples around the world have trouble conceiving. For a small proportion of them, In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is a technology that can restore the dream of parenthood.

IVF is the fertilization of an egg by sperm outside the body, where it is cultivated in a lab environment, and if an embryo results it is implanted into the mother's womb. Now the chances of IVF treatment being successful are being boosted by a machine called the Embryoscope.

A record number of babies are being born through IVF -- with over 60,000 IVF babies born in the United States alone in 2012. But since the inception of IVF in the 1970s, monitoring embryos has been a difficulty. In order to examine them, the embryologist must remove them from the safe environment of the incubator and expose them to environmental hazards such as temperature changes and contaminants.

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Embryos are removed and examined just once a day, which limits the information available to embryologists, as well as the chances of picking the embryo with the best chance of delivering a viable pregnancy.

Embryo development

I think this is the most exciting breakthrough since IVF started. Dr. Simon Fishel, managing director CARE Fertility

But these longstanding issues are being addressed by the Embryoscope. The device combines an incubator that maintains perfect conditions, with a tiny camera that takes photos every 10-15 minutes -- creating a time-lapse video of the embryo's development. This removes the need to expose the embryo to the outside atmosphere, and provides embryologists with far greater information with which to make decisions.

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The secret life of an embryo