Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute are collaborating with a biotechnology company called Gameto to develop human ovarian organoids that will allow the study of reproductive and other health issues using tissues that closely mimic those in human patients. Another application may lie in allowing people with fertility issues to conceive. To dat (Read more...)
Tag: Reproductive Medicine
Microdevice Assists with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injections
Scientists at the University of Adelaide in Australia created a microdevice that helps embryologists perform intracytoplasmic sperm injections. The procedure involves injecting a single sperm cell into an egg to initiate fertilization, and it is a key component of fertility procedures such as in vitro fertilization. Typically, this procedure is per (Read more...)
Cryoablation for Treatment of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: Interview with Ric Cote, CEO of Channel Medsystems
Channel Medsystems, a medtech company based in California, created the Cerene cryotherapy device for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding. Heavy menstrual bleeding can affect quality of life for many women, and the condition can be associated with abdominal pain, cramping, and tiredness. The Cerene technology aims to provide (Read more...)
Perinatal Mental Health Support for Parents of Color: Interview with Lauren Elliott, Founder of Candlelit Therapy
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are very common, and can cause significant suffering and distress for many new parents. Black women and women of color are often at higher risk of such disorders. Despite this, there has been a lack of culturally relevant mental health supports for such parents. Candlelit Therapy, a company based in […]
Microfluidic Chip Collects Healthy Sperm
A team at Florida Atlantic University created a microfluidic chip that can sort and collect healthy sperm cells for fertility procedures. The chip takes advantage of the fact that healthy sperm will naturally swim against cervical mucus flows and uses fluid flow to guide the cells to swim into a collection chamber. The simple approach […]
3D Printed Testicular Cells Offer Hope for Male Infertility
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a technique that lets them 3D print human testicular cells into a hollow tubular structure that mimics the seminiferous tubules found in the testicles. The printed structures are showing encouraging signs that they may be able to produce viable sperm, and the researchers are still wor (Read more...)
Progesterone Test Wands to Maximize the Chances of Conception: Interview with Sylvia Kang, CEO of Mira
Mira is a medical device company based in California specializing in technology that helps women maximize their chances of conception and monitor their reproductive health. Fertility problems are on the rise, with sperm counts dropping and many couples having difficulties conceiving. Technology can assist in maximizing the potential of conception b (Read more...)
Acoustic Wave Device Isolates High Quality Sperm for IVF
Researchers at Monash University in Australia have developed a microfluidic device to isolate high quality sperm from semen samples. The process could improve the chances of couples who opt for IVF to have children. The technology uses standing acoustic waves to separate sperm in clinically relevant numbers, and is faster, less labor-intensive, and (Read more...)
Wearable Premature Ejaculation Therapy Device
Morari Medical, a Minnesota firm, claims to have developed a wearable, smartphone controlled device for treating premature ejaculation (PE). A prototype of the device was shown off at CES 2020, although there were no demonstrations of its capabilities. The device uses neuromodulation to mediate the signals passing between the brain and nerves withi (Read more...)
CES 2020: YO At-Home Sperm Testing with Your Smartphone
CES 2020 is proving to be an interesting venue to check technologies that are translating from the professional medical space to the consumer. At the event we met with a rep from YO, an at home sperm testing system that allows men to visualize their own sperm and measure its motility. Link: YO Home Sperm […]
In Vivo Incubation System Cleared in Europe for More Natural IVF
INVO Bioscience, a Florida company, has just won European regulatory approval for its INVOcell culture and retention device. The product is part of the INVO Solution, which involves introducing sperm to an egg within the INVOcell device and then placing the device within the vaginal cavity of the woman seeking to become pregnant. After three [&hell (Read more...)
Samsung Unveils Hera I10 Ultrasound System
Samsung is unveiling its new Hera I10 ultrasound system designed for ob/gyn applications. The system integrates a motorized examination chair that can adjust from 18.9″ to a height of 38.6″, so patients don’t have to put up with a conventional exam table. A large high-def display screen can be moved around as the clinician prefers (Read more...)
Tactra Penile Prosthesis Stands Up As Needed
Boston Scientific is releasing its new Tactra malleable penile prosthesis, a device that provides a new option for treating erectile dysfunction. It is designed to reproduce a natural erection thanks to a dual-layer silicone construction and Nitinol (a nickel titanium alloy), which is a shape-memory material that can easily transition between two d (Read more...)
Microfluidic Chip Allows Embryonic Stem Cells to Differentiate
Complex multicellular organisms, such as ourselves, start out from stem cells that differentiate into different kinds of cells. This process is controlled by groups of cells that secrete special signaling molecules called morphogens, which guide nearby stem cells to turn into the kinds of cells that should be located in that region. This is an [&he (Read more...)
Artificial Intelligence Selects Embryos to Optimize In-Vitro Fertilization
Ever since its advent, in vitro fertilization has relied on trained specialists with a keen eye to select which embryos look more viable. This is a great responsibility since roughly only half of IVF procedures are successful. Any improvement of this process would be of great benefit to the expectant parents. Researchers at Weill Cornell […]
(Read more...)Contraceptive Jewelry from Georgia Tech
Contraceptives are very effective, as long as they’re administered on a tight schedule. All too often many women forget or ignore to take the pill, leading to unwanted surprises. Researchers at Georgia Tech, taking into account today’s fashion of wearing unusual jewelry, have developed an earring, necklace, ring, and a wrist watch, each (Read more...)
Self-Administered Long-Lasting Contraceptive Patch
Long lasting female contraceptives typically require trained professionals to perform injections and to implant devices, something that’s not always available in low-resource settings. Researchers at Georgia Tech and University of Michigan have created a microneedle patch that can deliver a long lasting contraceptive by simply being pr (Read more...)
myLAB Box STI at-home Test Kits. Interview with Lora Ivanova, Co-Founder and CEO at myLAB Box
myLAB Box, a healthcare company based in California, has developed and pioneered an at-home sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing service. With the number of STDs rising, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 20 million new STDs occur annually in the US, and half of these are in people aged 15 to […]
myLotus Hormone Monitor for Fertility Tracking Cleared in Europe
Concepta Plc, a company based in Bedfordshire, UK, won the European CE Mark for its myLotus hormone monitoring product. Designed to help women identify when their most fertile days are, myLotus measures hormonalnlevels and keeps track of their changes over time. It is being unveiled for the first time this weekend at the Fertility Show in (Read more...)
Affordable Fertility Care from the Glow Fertility Program: Three Perspectives Interview
For couples dealing with infertility, the cost of fertility treatment can be significant. While numerous variables need to be considered when estimating the cost of treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF), estimates put the price on the order of $12,000-$14,000, and sometimes even higher. This does not include the added cost of medication (Read more...)