Revolution: Smarter Sperm Selection – Embryo Quality Improved by Up to 10%
Revolution in identifying the most competent sperm: a new selection dish that improves embryo quality by up to 10%
In assisted reproduction, precision makes the difference. Today we know that achieving fertilisation alone is not enough: the quality of the selected sperm also directly influences embryonic development, implantation and, ultimately, the chances of pregnancy.
For decades, reproductive medicine has evolved to optimise this crucial moment.
From ICSI to the Current Challenge: Selecting with Greater Precision
In natural conception, biology acts as a highly selective filter in which only the most competent sperm reach the egg. The introduction of ICSI in the 1990s made it possible to overcome severe male factor cases by injecting a single sperm directly into the egg. However, this breakthrough transferred a crucial responsibility to the laboratory: choosing the most competent gamete.
Since then, the real challenge has not only been to achieve fertilisation, but to identify more accurately the sperm with the best genetic integrity and highest functional capacity.
When Apparently Normal Assessment is Not Enough
Motility and morphology have traditionally been the main selection criteria. However, we now know that a sperm cell with a normal appearance may present invisible alterations, such as DNA fragmentation or oxidative damage, which can compromise embryo quality. This scientific evidence has driven a new line of research: reproducing the natural mechanisms of biological selection in the laboratory rather than relying solely on visual criteria.
The Sperm Selection Dish Developed by Instituto Bernabeu that Improves Reproductive Success
Within this context, the sperm selection dish patented by Instituto Bernabeu was developed following six years of in-house research. It is a unique technology worldwide that applies a biomimetic approach: instead of relying exclusively on microscopic observation, it recreates in the laboratory an environment similar to that of the female reproductive tract.
Dr Andrea Bernabeu García explains: “The key element of the patent is the use of the patient’s own granulosa cells. These cells naturally surround the egg and have the biological capacity to attract and select sperm with the best genetic potential.
The dish incorporates microchannels and a cellular interaction system that simulates the physiological environment surrounding the egg. This design allows the system itself to act as a biological filter, enabling only sperm with greater functional competence and lower genetic damage to pass through the cellular barrier before being used in in vitro fertilisation (IVF).”
This is neither an acquired nor an adapted technology: it is the direct result of Instituto Bernabeu’s own R&D model, in which laboratory practice, clinical research and technological development work in an integrated manner to design solutions aimed at improving patients’ real outcomes.
Clinical Results That Make a Difference
Data obtained with Instituto Bernabeu’s Oosafe ICSI technology are clinically significant:
- Up to a 10% improvement in blastocyst-stage embryo quality.
- A 75% reduction in sperm DNA damage.
- A higher number of viable embryos with implantation potential.
These results have been presented at the congresses of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) and the Association for the Study of Reproductive Biology (ASEBIR), where the technology received the Innovation Award. They have also been published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics and in the official journal of ASEBIR, providing scientific validation of the impact of this innovation.
Particularly Relevant in Patients with Altered Male Factor and Advanced Age
The impact of this technology is particularly significant in patients with seminal alterations and in cases where maternal or paternal age may affect gamete quality.
Previous studies have shown that the use of this dish increases the rate of obtaining high-quality embryos by between 60% and 70%. By selecting better gametes, embryo development during the first days becomes significantly more stable. Selecting sperm with lower DNA fragmentation improves embryonic development even in eggs from women over the age of 40, offering new opportunities in complex reproductive situations.
Patented Innovation with International Projection
This new technology developed by Instituto Bernabeu holds a European patent and will begin its international expansion in 2026. This advance consolidates the Spanish and Italian group as an international benchmark in innovation applied to fertility. With more than 40 years of experience and a model in which research is structural, the centre reaffirms its commitment to developing proprietary technologies aimed at improving clinical outcomes and individualising each treatment.
Because in assisted reproduction, the difference lies not only in performing treatments, but in refining every step of the process to offer patients greater chances of success.
Dr Andrea Bernabeu García is a gynaecologist specialising in reproductive medicine and Medical Director of Instituto Bernabeu. She belongs to the second generation of the medical group founded by Dr Rafael Bernabeu and combines clinical practice with research in assisted reproduction.
Her work focuses on improving reproductive outcomes through scientific innovation and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. She actively participates in international scientific congresses and research projects aimed at translating scientific advances into clinical practice.
