Artificial intelligence – a novel tool in assisted reproduction technology

The fertility rates have declined in many industrialized countries during the last decades. This can partly be explained by social and economic conditions, but may also be due to a rise in fertility problems. Between 10 and 15 percent of couples are involuntarily childless.  

The evaluation of embryo and sperm is performed by embryologists, but there are no clear criteria for prediction of pregnancy. And this subjective assessment may not recognize important information for achieving pregnancy. 

The goal is to improve the methods for embryo and sperm selection and thereby increase the chance of pregnancy and ultimately a live born child. Another advantage may be to reduce the number of treatment cycles and to lower cost per treatment. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) methods are more and more accepted as an important tool in medicine and are especially suitable to obtain information from images. 

The results will be used to make a tool for fertility clinics to assist in clinical decisions.