A robot designed to perform in vitro fertilization (IVF) will be deployed commercially for the first time at Memorial Hospital Istanbul, following an agreement with Overture Life. The hospital, one of Europe’s busiest fertility centers, is expected to use the ICSI.A robotic platform in more than 6,000 IVF cycles annually. The system automates a fertilization procedure known as piezo-assisted intracytoplasmic sperm injection (piezo-ICSI), in which the robot uses electric pulses to inject sperm into eggs, offering an alternative to conventional manual methods.
ICSI.A was previously used in 2023 to enable the first live births resulting from automated fertilization, according to the company. Memorial Hospital Istanbul plans to install the platform by the end of this year as part of an effort to expand capacity amid increasing patient demand.
Piezo-ICSI is a technique that has been the subject of peer-reviewed research indicating improved outcomes in fertilization and embryo development, particularly among patients over the age of 35. Overture Life also cites data suggesting that the robotic platform performs consistently even when operated by less experienced personnel, potentially reducing dependence on highly specialized embryologists.
The agreement comes as Overture Life expands its portfolio of reproductive technologies. In addition to ICSI.A, the company has received regulatory clearance for DaVitri, a fertility preservation system, and obtained CLIA certification for an AI-based, non-invasive embryo selection tool. With research and development operations in Spain and a certified laboratory in the United States, the company is focused on integrating robotics and analytics into IVF procedures to lower costs and increase accessibility.
