Biological Qualification of Oocyte Maturity with the Use of the Karhunen-Loeve Transform: Computer-aided Decision for Selecting Best Oocytes Before Fertilization

The estimation of the a priori maturity degree of oocytes before fertilizing is a critical step in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). This kind of analysis is currently done by the practitioner with a visual microscope inspection and is therefore subjective. In this paper, we propose the use of an image processing called Karhunen-Loeve Transform (KLT). The KLT exploits the covariance matrix and its eigenvectors for obtaining a representation of information in several images. We show that the KLT permits the determination of the oocyte maturity by examining the KL images and more precisely the eigenvalues of each. The KLT could thus be a useful tool for IVF and we intend to develop a dedicated server for all French IVF centers as a computer aided decision for fertilization.