Lab Plays Key Role in IVF Success
Over the past 25 years, The Fertility Center of Oregon has earned an enviable reputation for providing the most modern fertility services combined with old-fashioned caring and compassion. Our new in vitro fertilization lab now adds the ultimate in high tech support for individuals and couples trying to start a family. Since laboratory quality plays a central role in IVF success rates, we’ve invested in state-of-the-art equipment resulting in the most modern embryology lab in Oregon.
Overseeing the lab is board certified embryologist Richard Yeoman, PhD, who has nearly 15 years’ experience as a researcher and clinician. He explains that IVF labs strive to simulate the human body’s environment—including temperature and humidity—to ensure that the egg and embryo develop appropriately. Since human embryos are sensitive to contaminants at the molecular level, extraordinary care is necessary to maintain a sterile and safe environment.
The IVF lab at The Fertility Center of Oregon exceeds national standards for environmental purity. Here are just a few of the remarkable measures taken to help protect our patients’ priceless embryos:
In addition to precise control of the lab environment, other high tech equipment makes possible fertility services only dreamed of decades ago. Here are two examples:
Doug Austin, MD, notes that for patients, everything in the lab takes place behind the scenes. He says, "When patients start this process, they sometimes fear getting lost in the high tech world. I remind them that we’re not doing science, we’re helping them have families. We still understand and value human emotions and relationships."
Overseeing the lab is board certified embryologist Richard Yeoman, PhD, who has nearly 15 years’ experience as a researcher and clinician. He explains that IVF labs strive to simulate the human body’s environment—including temperature and humidity—to ensure that the egg and embryo develop appropriately. Since human embryos are sensitive to contaminants at the molecular level, extraordinary care is necessary to maintain a sterile and safe environment.
The IVF lab at The Fertility Center of Oregon exceeds national standards for environmental purity. Here are just a few of the remarkable measures taken to help protect our patients’ priceless embryos:
- A sophisticated air filtration system changes the air 25 times an hour to remove contaminants.
- Temperature and humidity are kept at precise levels.
- Embryos are maintained in an incubator that replicates the environment of the fallopian tubes, including temperature, humidity and Ph level.
- Embryos are cultured under oil to reduce environmental stress and the possibility of contamination.
- The lab is a secure facility, with tightly controlled access, even for staff.
In addition to precise control of the lab environment, other high tech equipment makes possible fertility services only dreamed of decades ago. Here are two examples:
- Cryopreservation, or freezing, allows storage of good quality embryos that aren’t used for the initial transfer. The process allows options for future fertility treatments that are more economical and don’t require a repeat of the egg retrieval. However, since it’s tricky to freeze cells without killing them, The Fertility Center of Oregon’s embryology lab has a programmable freezer that provides the precisely controlled cooling required to maintain the eggs’ viability. Additionally, the embryos are frozen in special FDA-approved viral contamination-proof containers.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, provides fertility for couples in which the man has a low sperm count or impaired sperm motility. The procedure involves Dr. Yeoman looking through a microscope equipped with a robotic manipulator. Using the manipulator, he picks up an individual sperm and injects it directly into an egg. Because the procedure is so delicate, an antivibration table floats the microscope on a bed of air to isolate the microscope from normal building motion.
Doug Austin, MD, notes that for patients, everything in the lab takes place behind the scenes. He says, "When patients start this process, they sometimes fear getting lost in the high tech world. I remind them that we’re not doing science, we’re helping them have families. We still understand and value human emotions and relationships."
