Hamilton Thorne Biosciences Announces FDA Marketing Clearance of its ZILOS-tk Zona Laser Drill for Assisted Hatching of EmbryosHamilton Thorne Biosciences09 November 2004 |
Assisted hatching is used to help the embryo hatch from its
protective outer shell, the zona pellucida, and promote implantation
in the uterine wall after embryo transfer. Laser-assisted hatching
with the ZILOS-tk? uses a highly focused laser beam to remove the
zona pellucida in very precise increments. Prior to this, only
mechanical or chemical methods could be used for assisted hatching of
human embryos in clinical settings. Laser-assisted hatching requires
less handling of the embryo than these other assisted hatching
methods. Also, laser-assisted hatching is faster than the other
methods and, therefore, the embryo spends less time outside the
incubator.
"We are very pleased to offer IVF clinics the first laser system
granted clearance for clinical laser-assisted hatching," said Meg D.
Hamilton, CEO of Hamilton Thorne Biosciences, Inc. "Research has shown
the ZILOS-tk? to be beneficial to the IVF clinic in terms of embryo
safety, procedure speed, and simplification of the assisted hatching
process. We anticipate wide acceptance of the ZILOS-tk? as a
standard technique for assisted hatching throughout U.S. clinics."
The clearance of the ZILOS-tk? provides the clinical
embryologist with a welcome alternative for performing assisted
hatching. "The ZILOS-tk? system has proven itself to me and my
colleagues time and again as the easiest and most effective tool for
breaching the zona pellucida. Long-term experience within our labs has
shown clearly that it is not only fast and user-friendly, but also
"embryo-friendly," remarked Michael Tucker, Ph.D., Scientific
Director, Georgia Reproductive Specialists (www.ivf.com) and IVF Lab
Director, Shady Grove Fertility RCS, Rockville, MD
(www.shadygrovefertility.com). Recognized in his field as one of the
world's top ten scientists in early human reproduction, Dr. Tucker is
widely known and respected for his breakthrough achievements in
assisted reproductive technology. Dr. Tucker co-authored 4 research
abstracts featuring the ZILOS-tk?, which were recently presented at
the American Association of Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting in
Philadelphia, PA.
Hamilton Thorne Biosciences (www.hamiltonthorne.com) is a private,
Beverly, Mass.-based technology company that supplies computer-based
analysis solutions to the infertility, environmental testing,
reproductive toxicology, and animal production markets.
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