Donor Tissue Counseling
Our Lab & Safety
Protocols
At Spring Fertility, we’ve rigorously evaluated our storage safeguards and embryology lab protocols.
As a national leader in Advanced Reproductive Technologies and IVF services, we continually monitor and upgrade our technology to minimize risk to our patients. We thoughtfully employ the most advanced technology and well-tested standard operating procedures to deliver the safest environment for your eggs, embryos, and sperm.
Advanced Cryogenic Storage Technology
We use the most advanced technology “vapor” tanks filled with liquid nitrogen. These tanks can hold their temperature if unopened for more than 50 days without refilling. We keep tanks filled and replenished 3 times a week with the maximum permittable level of liquid nitrogen.
Triple-Redundant 24/7 Monitoring Systems
Your tissues are protected by three independent monitoring systems that work around the clock and are all supported by human oversight.
1. |
Each tank has an onboard computer system with both audible alarms and automatic phone alerts, 24 hours a day/7 days a week. |
2. |
Our labs have a completely separate backup system with dual temperature probes to provide redundant protection. |
3. |
Environmental safety sensors in the cryoroom also provide audible and visual alerts if oxygen levels drop, indicating a potential liquid nitrogen leak. |
Dual Witnessing + RFID Technology
We utilize a supervisory system whereby there is a minimum of two embryologists in the lab at all times. We require two lab assistants to identify genetic material (eggs, sperm or embryos) and two embryologists to confirm ID with every sample. We will never work with multiple patients’ sperm, eggs, or embryos at the same time, nor will we schedule two semen production appointments at the same time. At every stage throughout the IVF process – from egg retrieval to embryo transfer – we firmly adhere to our operating procedures and require dual signoffs to confirm that we are working with the correct patients’ tissue.
Additionally, we leverage RI Witness, an advanced electronic witnessing system that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to automatically track and verify samples throughout every step of IVF treatment. Every culture dish, tube, and container used in our labs has a tiny RFID microchip attached to it. These microchips communicate wirelessly with readers built into our lab workstations. The system automatically verifies that only one patient’s samples are being worked on together, providing continuous protection.
At the core of our systems is a dedicated team of world-class embryologists, critical to the implementation and execution of all technology and standard procedures.
The team is led by Dr. Sergio Vaccari, our American Board of Bioanalysis-certified High Complexity Lab Director, and Dr. Simona Torcia, our Director of Embryology Training and Quality Assurance.