At New Hope Fertility Center we make great efforts to create the highest quality embryos for our patients. The quality of an embryo is determined by the health of both the sperm and the oocyte (egg). Whereas an oocyte is large enough to see in detail under an ordinary microscope (100-200X magnification), sperm cells are far too small to allow us to see details in their physical appearance.

As most of our current and prospective patients know we perform Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) treatments during almost all fertilizations, meaning that our embryologists will choose the sperm they believe to be the healthiest to fertilize the egg. However, without a sense of the physical form (morphology) of a sperm, its health has traditionally been largely based on its ability to travel quickly when compared to its cohort.

At New Hope Fertility Center, our embryologists use a newer, state-of-the-art technique often referred to as either High Resolution Sperm Selection (HRSS) or Intracytoplasmic Morphology-selected Sperm Injection (IMSI) in which the sperm is viewed at 6000X magnification using DIC (Differential Interference Contrast) microscopy.

With HRSS or IMSI, an embryologist can view the physical details of the sperm including its shape, size and any other defects it may possess. Sperm quality is based on the "Kruger standard" morphology which states that when a sperm has a good morphological appearance it is more likely to have normal chromosomes and less fragmented DNA, two factors which play a significant role in determining embryo quality, implantation and growth.

Studies have also shown that with the use of HRSS, successful pregnancy rates are increased approximately 15%. Additionally, HRSS has also been shown to decrease the rate of spontaneous abortion during IVF pregnancies. By using HRSS we ensure that our patients receive the best quality embryos possible by injecting only the best quality sperm to into the oocyte.