Women could become pregnant while binge-watching reality TV with a friend, thanks to a new fertility pump developed by scientists in the U.K. The Evie device, which is strapped to the top of the thigh, injects sperm into the uterus over a three-to-four-hour period, maximizing the chances of fertilization. This means a woman could conceive while sitting at her desk or out running errands!
The slow-release process was designed to mimic natural conception rather than intrauterine insemination (IUI), where sperm is injected directly into the cervix, according to Reproductive Sciences, the company behind the Evie.
Early trial studies indicate the Evie could be as successful as IVF, with 250 women showing pregnancy rates up to 35 percent, The Telegraph reported.
“This device gives women more freedom. The catheter is initially inserted by a health professional, and then the [the patient] is free to leave the clinic, go to work, go home,” David Dally of Reproductive Sciences told The Telegraph. “Four hours later they can remove the devices themselves. It is a low-cost treatment that requires very little technology.”
After the procedure, patients throw away the device.
Dally predicts the Evie could be available in a small number of U.K. clinics in 2017 and will retail for around $747 dollars, comparable to the price of IUI. The average cost for an IVF cycle in the U.S. ranges from about $12,000 to $15,000, according to fertility website ihr.com.
According to the Reproductive Sciences website, the Evie pump is best suited for women under 35 years of age, same sex couples and couples with unexplained infertility.
