Marcos Meseguer, scientific supervisor at IVI Valencia: “AI can bring more objectivity to sperm selection for assisted reproduction thanks to a project supported by CDTI Innovation”
In natural reproduction, of the millions of ejaculated spermatozoa only a few overcome a process of biological selection, something that in assisted reproduction does not occur under the same conditions. This can increase the risk of using cells with less favorable characteristics and affect embryonic development. IVI Valencia, in collaboration with the Mexican entity IVF2.0, develops SiD2.0, the first automatic sperm selection tool through artificial intelligence, designed to help embryologists during the selection process and reduce variability and subjectivity in the choice of spermatozoa. The project is supported by CDTI Innovation, a commitment that connects with the priority of the Center to promote the presence and international technological cooperation of Spanish companies, in this case through a collaboration with Mexico, in an area where Spain has a reference position. The ultimate goal is not only to improve clinical success rates, but also to reduce the uncertainty and emotional burnout of the thousands of people who each year resort to assisted fertilization treatments.
IVI Valencia was born in the early nineties with health professionals from the public hospital field and specialists trained in the United States who returned to Valencia with the intention of incorporating the most advanced techniques of assisted reproduction. From that first centre, the project began an expansion that would take it first to other parts of Spain and then to Latin America, the USA, India, the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Middle East.
Since its early years, research has been part of the evolution of IVI Valencia, which has not only incorporated technologies developed abroad, but has also sought to generate its own knowledge, scientifically evaluate new advances and transfer them to clinical practice. This connection between research and assistance has allowed them to develop lines of work in areas such as gametes and embryos selection, culture systems, time-lapse monitoring, reproductive genetics and process automation.
Artificial intelligence now opens a new stage in that journey, with applications that can help turn some of the information handled by the lab into objective and comparable data. One of the areas in which IVI is exploring this possibility is spermatic selection, an everyday process in assisted reproduction treatments in which the experience of the embryologist continues to have a fundamental weight. That’s where SiD2.0 comes from, a project developed with the Mexican entity IVF2.0 to incorporate artificial intelligence tools into sperm selection.
Clinical experience and artificial intelligence
In intracytoplasmic sperm microinjection (ICSI), one of the techniques used in assisted reproduction, the embryologist selects a sperm and introduces it directly into the oocyte. The procedure is especially relevant in patients with significant alterations in the quantity or quality of spermatozoa that hinder natural fertilization.
SiD2.0 improves sperm selection for assisted reproduction thanks to AI
Although the choice follows professional criteria, the assessment depends to a large extent on the observation and experience of the person performing the procedure. SiD2.0 seeks to provide objective and quantifiable information as an additional element of assessment for the professional who makes the decision. “The main motivation for developing SiD2.0 was precisely to improve this process, reducing its subjective component and increasing its repeatability and consistency,” explains Marcos Meseguer, scientific supervisor at IVI Valencia.
Digitalization to generate data
The operation of this tool is based on the digitization of the microscope used during microinjection by means of a camera that records videos of the spermatozoa observed by the embryologist.
The images are connected with artificial intelligence-based software that analyzes their characteristics in real time and provides information about their quality. In this way, the professional can compare the spermatozoa present in the field of vision and locate those that meet the most favorable characteristics.
The system assigns each spermatozoon a quality score of between 0 and 100 and allows to visually identify those who obtain the highest scores, thus transforming an observation based on experience into a quantifiable assessment.
The embryologist maintains the final decision at all times and can collect with the pipette the selected spermatozoon to introduce it into the oocyte. “It is not a question of replacing the embryologist, but of providing him with objective and standardized help that complements his experience and professional criteria,” says Meseguer.
Digitalization also opens up a way to study in greater detail the relationship between the characteristics of the chosen spermatozoon and the subsequent development of the embryo. Having an accurate record of each selection makes it easier to document and compare procedures, as well as generating new knowledge about a process in which until now much of the information depended on the observation made at the time.
An alliance between embryology and artificial intelligence
The development of SiD2.0 is carried out together with the Mexican entity IVF2.0, a collaboration that combines capabilities that could hardly be concentrated in a single team. The Valencian company brings its experience in reproductive medicine, embryology and clinical practice, while the Mexican partner contributes with specialized knowledge in artificial intelligence, image analysis and software development. “This type of cooperation is an ideal synergy to develop solutions that are technologically advanced, but at the same time can be really useful in everyday clinical practice,” says Marcos Meseguer.
The international dimension of the initiative also fits with Spain’s position in reproductive medicine. The combination of research, clinical activity and training has made the country one of the leaders in the sector, and projects such as SiD2.0 seek to extend that capacity towards new AI applications.
The impulse of the CDTI Innovation
For IVI Valencia, the support of the CDTI Innovation has allowed us to assume part of that risk and dedicate resources to the development and evaluation of SiD2.0. “The CDTI provides the impetus we need to be able to invest in innovation and take part in the risk of developing a new technology,” says the scientific supervisor.
Meseguer describes as “indispensable” the role of the center to promote research and innovation: “Without this support, many innovative projects would be very difficult to carry out or would progress much more slowly. Probably, without the help of the CDTI, we could not be currently developing an important part of the research we carry out.”
Bringing AI to the Lab
SiD2.0 has already passed one of the most relevant stages of its development. The clinical trial has been completed and the team now analyzes the data and prepares the scientific publication that will determine what the tool provides compared to the conventional procedure and under what conditions it could be incorporated into the laboratory.
Technological equipment of the laboratory of IVI Valencia
In IVI, any progress towards clinical practice must be supported by evidence and, although more objective selection could open up new possibilities, it is still necessary to demonstrate whether this tool can improve treatment success rates. “What we do know is that SiD2.0 can allow us to document in a digital, objective and very precise way the quality of each of the spermatozoa used during microinjection. This information can help us better understand the relationship between sperm characteristics and the subsequent development of the embryo, as well as improve the traceability and standardization of the procedure,” explains Marcos Meseguer.
In this line, the next step will be to determine the clinical value of this solution and, if the results support it, move towards its application in other centers and markets. The collaboration between IVI and IVF2.0 also opens up new avenues of international cooperation in an area in which Spain maintains a position of reference. “A technology like SiD2.0 helps reinforce that leadership because it shows that we continue to be pioneers in the incorporation and evaluation of new tools aimed at improving assisted reproduction treatments,” he concludes.
CDTI Innovation
The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth.
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