title: In vitro development of donated frozen-thawed human embryos in a prototype static microfluidic device: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the development of human embryos in microfluidic devices with culture in standard microdrop dishes, both under static conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro fertilization laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eighteen donated frozen-thawed human day-4 embryos.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random allocation of embryos that fulfilled the inclusion criteria to single-embryo culture in a microfluidics device (n = 58) or standard microdrop dish (n = 60).
  
  
  METHODS
  Blastocyst formation rate and quality after 24, 28, 48, and 72 hours of culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of frozen-thawed day-4 embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage did not differ significantly in the standard microdrop dishes and microfluidic devices after 28 hours of culture (53.3% vs. 58.6%) or at any of the other time points. The proportion of embryos that would have been suitable for embryo transfer was comparable after 28 hours of culture in the control dishes and microfluidic devices (90.0% vs. 93.1%). Furthermore, blastocyst quality was similar in the two study groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that a microfluidic device can successfully support human blastocyst development in vitro under static culture conditions. Future studies need to clarify whether earlier stage embryos will benefit from the culture in microfluidic devices more than the tested day-4 embryos because many important steps in the development of human embryos already take place before day 4. Further improvements of the microfluidic device will include parallel culture of single embryos, application of medium refreshment, and built-in sensors.
  NTR3867.
authors.affiliation: IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: d.kieslinger@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: Dorit C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kieslinger
authors.affiliation: BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and MIRA Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands; Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhenxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carlijn G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Vergouw
authors.affiliation: IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elisabeth H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kostelijk
authors.affiliation: IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cornelis B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lambalk
authors.affiliation: BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and MIRA Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Le Gac
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum; D015925:Cryopreservation; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D019924:Embryo Disposition; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Blastocyst; embryo culture techniques; human; in vitro fertilization; microfluidics