What are the different ways of performing assisted hatching?
There are three methods of assisted hatching: mechanical, chemical, and laser-assisted. With mechanical methods, an incision or hole is made in the zona pellucida using a tool such as a microsurgical knife or a special glass needle. The chemical method directs a stream of acidic hatching solution against outer shell to digest a portion of the zona pellucida. Laser-assisted hatching (LAH) uses a highly focused laser beam to remove the zona pellucida in very precise increments.
