Reducing IVF Costs with AI and Robotics, More Tests Required

Conceivable Life Sciences is a startup leveraging robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to automate key steps in in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, aiming to lower the cost of IVF treatments and improve accessibility. Although early trials have shown promising results, experts caution that more studies and regulatory approvals are required before broader implementation, reports Bloomberg Línea.

Backed by US$20 million in venture funding from firms like ACME and Black Opal Ventures, the startup aims to tackle two significant challenges in the IVF process: high costs and the shortage of a shortage of trained embryologists. Currently, patients spend on average US$50,000 on IVF treatments, which are often not covered by insurance. These treatments, “are expensive and difficult to scale,” said Joshua Abram, Co-Founder and President, Conceivable Life Sciences. He also emphasized that errors can occur at various stages of the process, further highlighting the need for innovation.

Pietro Bortoletto, Director of Reproductive Surgery at Boston IVF, emphasizes the rising costs in the field, stating, “I have not seen a single innovation in our field that has reduced the cost of care. Everything has increased.” This issue is articularly troubling for couples who often require multiple traditional IVF cycles—each session averaging around US$20,000. As a result, total expenses typically range between US$40,000 to US$60,000 before achieving a successful pregnancy, according to CNF Fertility.

Conceivable's efforts are part of a larger industry movement to modernize the global US$40 billion fertility industry  which is projected to reach approximately US$43.57 billion by 2033, according to Biospace. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for assisted reproductive technologies (ART), as more people delay parenthood. This is supported by a study titled "Families Formed Through Assisted Reproductive Technology", which indicates that the trend of postponing family formation in developed countries has increased the need for ART. 

Furthermore, rising living costs—such as high housing prices and job instability—further complicate family planning, as reported by MBN. Additionally, societal shifts, such as later marriages among women, contribute to the growing reliance on fertility treatments. This transformation not only underscores the significance of ART in contemporary society but also highlights the necessity for policies that support family planning and reproductive health.

According to Bloomberg Linea, Conceivable's robotic system automates key stages of the IVF process, including separating eggs, fertilizing them with AI-selected sperm—where the healthiest sperm is chosen to improve success rates—incubating embryos, and freezing them in liquid nitrogen for storage. The system requires oversight from a human embryologist, lab technician, and engineer. Early trials have resulted in 19 pregnancies; however, broader studies and approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are necessary before this technology can be implemented in clinics.

Similarly, smaller-scale applications of robotics and AI are emerging in IVF. Columbia University’s Fertility Center, for example, is developing a robot named APRIL to assist with embryo cultivation. Studies suggest that these technologies can perform certain manual tasks as well as—if not better than—human embryologists.

Despite these advancements, some in the field, Nikica Zaninovic, Director of the Embryology Lab, Weill Cornell Medicine, is skeptical of fully automating the IVF process, stating, "human input is still extremely important. I do not think the lab is ready for complete automation yet."