Bellevue, WA – Like the stork, Assisted Reproduction (ART) has delivered millions of babies, yet it can still cause a pause for an eager parents-to-be. The apprehension is not related to the intricate medical procedure, it’s about the cliff-hangar TV plot that ends in the delivery room with a gorgeous baby that looks nothing like the parents-you know – Gabriel’s nightmare on Desperate Housewives. Now, for the first time in the United States, Reproductive Medicine leader Overlake Reproductive Health in Bellevue, Washington has put their patients’ fears to rest with Electronic Security Tagging Radio Frequency ID Technology to protect the identity of IVF and IUI donors.
“ART procedures require a high level of technical expertise and, the identity of the partners must be maintained throughout the entire multi-step process”, explains Overlake Reproductive Health Medical Director Dr. Kevin Johnson. “To accomplish a previously unachievable level of certainty in all of our IVF and IUI procedures, Overlake Reproductive Health now uses radio frequency patient ID “smart” tags, which act as a digital fingerprint, to strictly monitor our lab procedures.”
Specifically designed for the IVF clinic, Electronic IVF Security Tagging, the most technologically advanced system available, guards every step of the Assisted Reproduction process to protect the integrity of sperm and egg while streamlining the IVF process. Utilizing Radio Frequency ID technology, IVF Security Tagging tracks the sperm and egg throughout the laboratory process, ensuring that the resulting embryo is transferred to the correct patient. If at any time the wrong samples are introduced into the work area, Electronic Security Tagging warns the Overlake laboratory personnel both visually and audibly.
How does it work? Electronic Security Tagging workstations are placed at all work areas in the lab. The readers automatically detect RFID labels which are attached to all labware: culture dishes, test tubes, ID cards etc. The IVF Security Tagging system then assigns and tracks the patient identity through the procedure. Unlike barcode systems, every step of the IVF procedure is detected without any requirement from the embryologist.
Dr. Johnson explains that the IVF cycle can be seen as a series of key stages linked one to the next. The first step is the assignment of a patient Entry Point ID which is affixed via “smart” tag to their sample in their presence and recorded on their own ID card. Every time that a new culture dish or tube is introduced into the system it is assigned the patient’s unique identity and thereafter linked, continuing as an unbroken chain, which in turn guarantees the integrity of the system. The final step is again carried out in their presence when the sperm sample or embryos are matched up with the patient’s own ID card. This system is designed to provide the ultimate peace of mind to both Overlake Reproductive Health patients and staff.
Information Links
Here is some helpful information about our Electronic Security Tagging system:
- More information on Electronic Security Tagging
- Reproductive Clinic Uses RFID to Guarantee Parental Identity, RFID Journal
