Womb-on-a-chip may boost IVF successes

July 26, 2007 | Source: New Scientist news service

University of Tokyo scientists are building a microfluidic chip to nurture the first stages of pregnancy.

They hope, eventually, to create a fully automated artificial uterus in which egg and sperm are fed in at one end and an early embryo comes out the other, ready for implanting in a real mother. They say using such a device could improve the success rate of IVF.