Automated assessment of PN(Pronuclear) score through time-lapse monitoring system at Assisted Fertility Clinics

Embryologists suffer from a significant amount of stress from having to be present at irrational hours to do a fertility check by doing pronuclear (PN) scoring manually. This prospective study strives to automate the PN score assessments using the Time-Lapse Monitoring System (TLMS) and study the implications of stress on embryologists. The TLMS Assessment and Conventional Assessment Group was blindly assigned to two groups of competent embryologists, each with n=27 individuals. The Conventional Assessment Group conducted assessments under stereomicroscopes, whereas the TLMS Assessment Group employed TLMS to examine digital images without disturbing embryos. Stress levels were measured before and after the six-month assessment period using pre- and post-assessment questionnaires. Both groups' pre-assessment stress levels demonstrated mild stress during PN manual scoring. The conventional Assessment Group witnessed a significant reduction in stress after three months when put to TLMS (from 6.3 to 4.2), with 85% reporting decreasing stress. The TLMS assessment group, on the other hand, had a significant increment in its stress levels after three months when put to the conventional group (from 4.1 to 7.3), with 90% reporting an increase in stress.The results obtained demonstrate that using TLMS for embryo evaluation may minimise the stress that occurs to embryologists while performing a manual assessment of the PN score, along with offering independence to the embryologist for the fate of aberrant embryos. Also, a significant number of blastocysts were retrieved from the TLMS group as compared to the conventional group. This study highlights the potential advantages of automating PN assessment using TLMS in assisted reproductive clinics.