UpFlow

2023: 3D printing began to be used for IVF

In late January 2023, the researchers created a dynamic cell culture that could significantly improve the in vitro fertilization process using a unique polymer material and 3D printing process.

The technology for in vitro fertilization (IVF), developed jointly by two companies, Austria-based UpNano GmbH and startup Fertilis, can reduce the complexity of the IVF process and, accordingly, the burden on embryos during implantation.

Researchers create dynamic cell culture that can dramatically improve in vitro fertilization process using unique polymer material and 3D printing process

UpNano is developing a material called UpFlow that can be used in tandem with 2PP company's NanoOne printer to create a type of dynamic microfluidic cell culture device developed by IVF specialist Fertilis.

According to Fertilis CEO Marty Guavin, this device makes IVF easier for patients, saving their financial resources, and also relieves some of the emotional burden that IVF can have on those who seek to conceive in this way. Based on UpFlow's photopolymerizable material, Fertilis' 3D printing micro-device can reduce the number of implants required by 30-40%, Guavin said, raising the possibility of the desired process result.

In particular, Fertilis has created a 3D-printed micro-device based on UpFlow, which automates the critical life stage between fertilization and embryo implantation in the IVF process, the company said. The device, which measures 0.05 mm in diameter, allows scientists to accurately track and control the culturing process of a fertilized egg. This saves IVF specialists the need to move cells between petri dishes and thereby subject embryos to stress that can limit their viability.

Certain aspects of the UpFlow material and the NanoOne 2PP printer used to print the device made it possible to use the device's functions, the companies said. One aspect of UpFlow that contributed to the device is its viscosity, which is lower than any other material used in 2PP printing. In order to create a material with this characteristic, UpNano chose special base resins for UpFlow that maintain a low viscosity until it hardens and makes the material ready for use, she said. UpFlow also features high optical transparency, making it well suited for microscopic control of embryos in incubation as well as low autofluorescence.^[1]

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