This year ESHRE will be held in Istanbul, Turkey from 1-4 July.

NEW PRODUCTS

Throughout the last 12 months RI’s R&D team have been working closely with embryologists worldwide to develop new and exciting products which we are excited to launch at our booths in the Exhibition Hall.

PRESENTATIONS

We will also be hosting daily presentations on the latest technologies with a variety of top embryologists talking about hot topics. A schedule of talks will be published shortly.

For more information about ESHRE or to book your ticket, click here.

Below is a list of the major exhibitions and workshops that RI will be attending for 2012.

To generate a RI Witness™ quotation and hardware specification we will need some more information about your clinic. A Sales representative will be in contact to discuss this in further depth.

Certified ISO 9001 in June 2011, the centre for ART at the Polyclinique de L’Atlantique in Nantes Saint-Herblain has chosen an electronic solution, RI Witness™, to guarantee the traceability of its samples. This system, used in over forty IVF clinics worldwide, verifies the identity of the patient samples and ensures the different stages of the IVF protocols are adhered to. Pierre-Yves Prima and Pierre Sanguinet, embryologists in charge of the laboratory explain.

Hands on Workshop and Lectures on IMSI, Trophectoderm Biopsy and the Future of Laboratory Quality Control – Amman, Jordan

PLEASE NOTE: THE WORKSHOP WILL NOW BE HELD ON 27TH-28TH MARCH AT THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, AMMAN. PLEASE CONTACT LIS@RESEARCH-INSTRUMENTS.COM IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE NEW DATE AND WISH TO CANCEL YOUR ATTENDANCE.

RI will be hosting a two day conference and workshop exploring the techniques of IMSI, Trophectoderm Biopsy and the future of laboratory quality control.

• Hands on training in IMSI and Trophectoderm Biopsy.

• Multicentre presentations on the implementation of RI Elements™ laboratory control systems in small, medium and large volume IVF clinics and how it has revolutionised the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of the new generation of fertility clinics.

INVITED SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Ronny Janssens, Quality Manager, Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Brussels

Alan Thornhill, Laboratory Manager, The London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre, London, UK

Stephen Harbottle, Lead Embryologist, Cambridge IVF, UK

Karen Turner, Consultant Embryologist, Oxford Fertility Unit, UK

Paul Knaggs, Senior Embryologist, IVF Hammersmith, London, UK

Safira Batha, Laboratory Manager, The Lister Fertility Clinic, London, UK

To register your interest and obtain further information on the workshop, please contact Lis Goulder at lis@research-instruments.com

Places are available on a strictly ‘first come, first served’ basis, so register early.

Sponsors: Research Instruments Ltd, UK

Scientific Consultancy Group Co, Jordan

Please note: All invitees are correct at time of publication.

For those who attended the presentations and would like further information, please E-mail us and let us know and we can pass on your queries.

DENVER, CO and CORNWALL, UK, OCTOBER 25, 2010 – Research Instruments Limited (RI) today announced a new partnership with Modulation Optics, Inc., to develop a exclusive, highly sensitive optical system for Intracytoplasmic Morphologically-selected Sperm Injection (IMSI), which may lead to higher pregnancy rates following in vitro fertilization. Ensuring a high-sensitivity source imaging for maximum contract, this new offering, adapted from renowned Hoffman Modulation Contrast (HMC) technology, is an integral component of Research Instruments’ IMSI solution, designed for quick and easy routine clinical use.

IMSI is a modified form of the ICSI technique, injecting a single sperm into a single egg to achieve fertilization. However, with IMSI, sperm can be magnified 6,000 times more than in a conventional ICSI procedure, better enabling clinicians to identify the best quality sperm. Patients with severely low sperm count can benefit from IMSI.
The RI IMSI system is designed for use with the same microscope used for ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), on standard plastic Petri dishes, thus maximising the clinical benefit of the technique, especially when viewing sperm. Research Instruments supplies this objective as part of a package including a high-sensitivity camera, medical-grade monitor and versatile imaging software. The RI IMSI system is also designed to be compatible with all popular inverted microscopes and micromanipulation systems.

“We are very proud to work in partnership with Modulation Optics, to develop the best possible technological solutions to real world challenges,” said David Lansdowne, Technical Director, Research Instruments. “We have seen the research on the IMSI technique and we believe that the only way to gain wider acceptance in clinical practice is by solving the practical issues associated with high magnification objectives.”

Current systems are expensive, time-consuming, difficult to work with, and are widely perceived to be too cumbersome for routine clinical application. Sperm samples degenerate rapidly so speed is very important.

“Modulation Optics is pleased to partner with Research Instruments to combine the imaging capabilities of high magnification Hoffman Modulation Contrast with RI’s outstanding product line for IMSI morphological screening,” said Bruce Phillips, Modulation Optics, New York. “The synergy of working to provide the best equipment for this exciting new application will only enhance a two-decade relationship of close and productive cooperation.”

Technology reduces risk of IVF lab mistakes by electronically identifying all patient ‘samples’ used during an infertility treatment cycle.

DENVER, CO and CORNWALL, UK, OCTOBER 25, 2010 – RI Witness software technology used to monitor patients’ eggs, sperm and embryos throughout an infertility treatment cycle, is giving thousands of infertility patients peace of mind, and ensuring the safe, accurate and confidential treatment of all biological materials. RI Witness is used to carefully track and monitor more than 23,000 in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles each year. In the US, infertility affects about 7.3 million women and their partners, or approximately 12% of the reproductive-age population.

RI Witness uses non-invasive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to track each patient’s biological ‘samples’ during the course of treatment. If wrong samples are introduced, RI Witness alerts the laboratory staff, via visual and audible signals, to help prevent mislabeling of any materials. To reduce the risk of human error, IVF clinics ‘double witness’ each procedure, having two laboratory staff members manually double-check the labeling and handling of samples.

“After integrating the system into our IVF lab procedures, we clearly appreciate the benefits of the RI Witness, giving an even higher level of confidence, comfort and security to each treatment cycle. In addition to double witnessing each procedure, our team has the added assurance that we have a reliable technology in place to guarantee authenticity of each step of the IVF process,” said Carli Chapman, BS, ELD, Associate Lab Director, Reproductive Medicine Institute, Chicago. “We are so pleased with the RI Witness that we are now integrating the technology in all of our IUI procedures as well.”

RI Witness uses RFID tags, each containing a microchip that acts as a unique digital fingerprint, safely identifying samples at the outset and tracking them through the fertilization process. Each patient is given an RFID identity card, with a unique identification. This individual identification is used with all sample materials for that patient, including Petri dishes and test tubes used in a treatment cycle. The entire system is electronically managed.

“IVF laboratories have rigorous protocols to ensure the safety of all patient samples and treatment cycles. As a result, laboratory errors are rare, but as with any medical procedure, there is a possibility for human error,” said Bill Brown, Managing Director, Research Instruments. “By creating an automated system to further validate established safety protocols, RI Witness provides added safeguards to ensure the integrity and accuracy of each treatment cycle, giving patients complete peace of mind.”

“Many of our patients do have a high level of concern about the accurate handling of their samples. Knowing we are using state-of-the-art technology to monitor and record the entire lab process and all materials used in their treatment cycle gives them greater comfort and confidence,” said Chapman.

“Only with RI Witness can an infertility clinic guarantee to their patients that their eggs, sperm and embryos are monitored continuously, during every laboratory procedure,” added Brown. “Forward-thinking clinics are integrating RI Witness into their lab practices. It is easy to use, requires no additional steps or procedures, and provides an important safeguard to prevent the possibility of error.”

RI Witness was initially installed in the United States, and is now used throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In the UK alone, RI Witness monitors 25% of all infertility treatment cycles.

I would like to schedule an RI Witness demonstration, during the ASRM conference: