Hopeful parents who continue to struggle with infertility have found an unlikely ally in Science and the advancements of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) as a laboratory in Guadalajara, Mexico harnesses the power of Artificial Intelligence and robotics to help streamline the IVF process.
Conceivable Life Sciences, a fertility clinic, and startup is currently building robots powered by AI infrastructure to automate crucial parts of an IVF process. While still in the prototype phase, these robots can perform delicate procedures like sperm aspiration and egg micromanipulation.
Traditionally, IVF has been a labour-intensive process. Doctors perform a minimally invasive surgical procedure to retrieve eggs, which are then carefully transferred to a specialised container and passed through a designated transfer window to a waiting embryologist in the lab. Scientists then meticulously combine the eggs with sperm for fertilisation.
In contrast, the small clinic in Mexico takes a radically different approach to IVF. Upon reaching the designated transfer point, the specialised container is entrusted to a network of robots powered by AI. At this cutting-edge facility, the entire IVF laboratory undergoes a complete automation process.
This eliminates the need for manual intervention beyond scientists' supervisory oversight. Conceivable envisions a future with automated IVF labs disseminated globally, each featuring seamlessly integrated lines of gleaming white units operating in uninterrupted synergy.
While their current operations are focused on conducting small-scale studies and refining robotic prototypes, Conceivable's data, interviews, and video demonstrations shared with Business Insider all point towards a workable system.
How Conceivable's Robots Handle Eggs and Sperm
Conceivable's robotic system executes a series of meticulously controlled steps upon receiving a user command. With laser technology, sperm motility is precisely arrested before they are meticulously transferred into a specialised needle for microinjection into retrieved oocytes.
Following fertilisation and incubation, the resulting embryos are carefully manoeuvred using a specialised microfluidic device for rapid cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen vials.
Conceivable claims to have made multiple significant advancements in IVF technology. Their robotic-assisted procedures have facilitated successful pregnancies in eleven women.
Thanks to its innovative robotic technology, Conceivable has established itself as a pioneer in the field of IVF by achieving the world's first successful robotic intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure.
This intricate process involves precisely inserting a single sperm cell into an oocyte, as documented by Conceivable in the video evidence shared with BI. In December, Conceivable's Chief Scientific Officer, the renowned embryologist Dr. Jacques Cohen, successfully directed the robotic ICSI procedure via a keyboard and mouse interface.
Notably, the procedure was conducted in Mexico, highlighting the remote manipulation capabilities of Conceivable's technology—the resulting embryo transfer, performed on February 23, culminating in a successful pregnancy.
"We're doing transcontinental ICSIs all the time now, making them routine," Joshua Abram, Conceivable's co-CEO and cofounder, told BI in an interview. "We're the first company in the world to have ever done this."
Can Robots Make Anyone a Parent?
Having secured $20 million in venture capital funding, Conceivable Life Sciences is at the forefront of a paradigm shift in IVF. By pioneering the application of robotics to this field, the company's co-founders believe that automation offers superior dexterity when handling microscopic cells, thereby eliminating potential inaccuracies associated with manual manipulation using pipettes. This could lead to significant cost reductions through process optimisation.
Additionally, they anticipate a significant cost reduction through process optimisation. Conceivable's business model entails a $15,000 fee for most patients, with payment contingent upon successful outcomes.
The influence of automation extends beyond the field of IVF. For instance, recent developments in Tokyo showcase using robots for food delivery services through Uber Eats. Furthermore, prominent figures like Elon Musk have publicly projected a future where AI can perform the entirety of the human workforce's tasks.
