What should patients expect during a metabolic imaging procedure?
During a metabolic imaging procedure, embryos are typically cultured in a specialised medium containing specific markers or dyes that interact with their metabolic byproducts. Advanced imaging equipment, such as time-lapse incubators or confocal microscopes, is then used to capture and analyse the distribution and intensity of these markers within the embryos. The procedure itself is non-invasive and does not require any direct manipulation of the embryos. Patients may not notice any significant differences compared to standard IVF procedures.