A new IVF method for selecting sperm can assist in improving embryo quality, lowering the rates of early miscarriage and ultimately increase pregnancy success, according to an Australian study announced at the annual conference for the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Lisbon last week.

Elena Andaloro, Embryologist, City Fertility Centre,co-author with Susan Baohm, said the study compared embryo success using traditional artificial liquid for sperm selection - called polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) - with a new natural liquid - hyaluronan (HA) - or SpermSlow™.

"SpermSlow slows down the movement of the sperm in the petri dish to allow for the embryologist to select the most mature, viable sperm with the best DNA integrity for the common IVF method Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)," Ms Andaloro said.

"In simple terms, during natural conception, only fully developed and mature sperm that reach the egg will bind and initiate fertilisation.

"In conventional IVF sperm selection for the ICSI method, where the sperm is injected into the egg, the sperm has been placed in the PVP liquid which has resulted in sperm being selected regardless of maturity or DNA integrity. However with SpermSlow, immature sperm are separated, allowing for only mature and more successful sperm to be selected and used."

She said, immature sperm have been found to have a higher chance of DNA damage and of carrying an abnormal number of chromosomes.

Australian scientists from City Fertility Centre at the ESHRE 2015 conference presented their findings of the study which confirmed changing the liquid that sperm are placed in before being selected can increase the chance of superior sperm being selected.

The study compared the success of more than 2,600 female eggs (oocytes) injected by sperm that had been selected using the traditional PVP liquid with 3,000 female eggs injected by sperm that had been selected using the new SpermSlow.

The results of the study reported a clinical pregnancy rate of 30.2 per cent using SpermSlow compared with 20.2 per cent using PVP.

"Statistically, this means a 10 per cent greater chance of pregnancy success for patients use SpermSlow for the IVF ICSI method," she said.

Adnan Catakovic, Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director at City Fertility Centre said the results of the study were very encouraging.

"This new technique has the potential to help patients struggling with infertility issues to achieve a pregnancy faster, which is what we are constantly striving for," Mr Catakovic said.

A link to the findings presented at ​​the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) can be viewed here.

City Fertility Centre is utilising SpermSlow for clinically relevant patients at no additional cost.