Received June 03, 2009
Accepted June 05, 2009

Many laboratories have installed specialized incubator filtration units with the intent of enhancing air quality.The aim of this study is to determine whether an incubator Class 100 with HEPA VOC filter enhance the outcome measures in ICSI cycles. This prospective, randomized study recruited patients of age ≤ 39 years who underwent fresh ICSI cycles from September 2007 to January 2009. 114 ICSI cycles were included. Embryo culture was performed either in an incubator equipped with HEPA filter plus carbon-activated for volatile organic compounds (Group I = 53) or in an identical incubator Class 100 with HEPA filter only without carbon activated (Group II = 61). Main outcome measures were nº of good quality embryos transferred (≥ 8cells G1/G2) and clinical pregnancy. A total of 42 transfers were performed in Group I and 55 in Group II. There were 11 cycles without transfers in Group I and 6 in Group II due to either oocyte retrieval failure or OHSS risk. The two groups were similar in terms of age, total amount of gonadotropins, duration of stimulation, endometrial thickness on the hCG day, nº of metaphase II oocytes retrieved per patient. No significant difference was found neither for the mean nº of MII oocytes nor for fertilization and cleavage rates. The mean nº of embryos transferred and top quality embryos transferred were similar. Clinical pregnancy was not significantly higher in Group I. The data of this study has demonstrated no significant differences between the two groups in all parameters analyzed.