Monitoring Europe’s Largest IVF Lab

The XiltriX® laboratory monitoring system has been chosen for what will be the largest IVF centre in Europe, at the Hewitt Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Liverpool Women’s Hospital. XiltriX is a comprehensive monitoring, logging and alarm system that will continuously and automatically supervise over 150 parameters in the IVF laboratory to ensure the safety of all biological materials kept there, and to guarantee that embryos are maintained under conditions representing absolute best practice in embryology. The system is manufactured by IKS International and is supplied and maintained by their UK distributor, Sedna Scientific of Dronfield, Derbyshire.

XiltriX continuously monitors such parameters as temperature, relative humidity, CO2 levels and whether incubator and other doors are open or closed. Active areas like microscope platens, incubators, refrigerators, freezers, warming baths, room temperatures, and cryogenic storage are monitored, and all data is logged to ensure traceability. If an error condition is detected, a highly flexible alarm system is activated. Flashing lights give on-site warnings, backed up by an autodialler and sms text messaging. Two-way communication is possible so that, for example, the recipient of a text message can send a reply to acknowledge the alarm remotely. The alarm system is cascaded so that if no response is received from the first contact the message will be sent to a second and if necessary even a third. The system is also installed on the local network, so users can log in from internal or external computers or even from home via the internet. XiltriX is completely independent from the wiring and power for any other equipment in the unit so continues to function in the event of infrastructure failure.

When fully commissioned next year, the Hewitt Centre for Reproductive Medicine will handle more than 2000 assisted conceptions a year. The newly completed, 1400ft2 extension to Liverpool Women’s Hospital houses a state-of-the-art embryology laboratory, sperm bank, egg freezing facility and dedicated recovery services. This £5m investment, funded jointly by Liverpool Women’s NHS Trust and private practitioners North West Fertility Ltd, will further cement the hospital’s reputation as leaders in reproductive medicine.