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Beam me up, baby: exploring the use of lasers in assisted reproductive technologies

Research

The success rate of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) hovers around 30%. Even in successful cases, the incidence of multiple births, due to multiple embryo transfer, and their associated morbidity, is dangerously high. Now a new paper reveals how laser technology is being used to make ART safer and more efficient.

How laser techniques are helping to overcome infertility

An estimated one in seven couples experience difficulty conceiving.  Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been rapidly expanding since the birth of Louise Brown, the first test tube baby, in 1978. Although an increasingly complex array of laboratory skills and procedures have been developed for infertility treatments, the success rate of ART hovers around 30%. Even in successful cases, the incidence of multiple births, due to multiple embryo transfer, and their associated morbidity, is dangerously high.

Read more (Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology website)

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