“We appreciate the flexibility of the XiltriX solution’s notifications. It helps our team access the information right when we need it.”

Alison Coates – Embryology Laboratory Director, ORM Fertility

ORM Fertility Implements XiltriX Laboratory Monitoring Solution

Since 2018, the XiltriX solution has been instrumental in monitoring, maintaining, and safeguarding the laboratory and equipment conditions at ORM Fertility (formerly Oregon Reproductive Medicine). Ensuring eggs and embryos are safe at all times.

The Embryology Laboratory Director, Dr. Alison Coates, Ph.D., at the ORM Fertility Laboratory, was moving the lab’s location into a brand new building when she first discovered XiltriX. Dr. Coates is very familiar with monitoring and alarm solutions used to support laboratory devices and equipment, as well as ensure proper quality management systems are in place, and she was adamant about wanting the best system available for her new laboratory. Being originally from the UK, she reached out to the head of the Embryology department at the Hewitt Fertility Centre IVF laboratory in Liverpool. This laboratory has used the XiltriX solution for over a decade and confirmed to Dr. Coates the system’s stability, scalability, and ease of use.

After becoming convinced that XiltriX was the best choice, Dr. Coates’ next step was to bring the XiltriX team to Portland to get a firsthand look at the new laboratory layout. XiltriX engineers used their vast experience to configure a suitable system infrastructure and worked closely together with the regional XiltriX installation support team and the embryology laboratory staff to ensure the system would function to all desired standards and specifications. This collaborative effort led to a mutually agreed upon design and implementation where all critical parameters for all important devices and equipment were set up for around-the-clock monitoring.

Ensuring all parameters in the laboratory were accurately controlled was not an easy task. The laboratory used large box-type incubators with low CO2 and O2 control. Aside from the fact that the sensors for these incubators are very expensive, they also pose contamination risks inside the incubators. XiltriX was able to offer a customized CO2 monitoring solution where only a small gas sample is taken from the incubators and then analyzed by a single CO2 sensor. This type of sensor is automatically calibrated three times per day, resulting in very high accuracy. Alongside the gas concentration, temperature and door openings are also automatically monitored by XiltriX.

Accurate monitoring of storage tanks in the laboratory over a long period of time was performed by using specially designed Teflon mantle pt100 temperature sensors that are pushed through the foam lid of the storage tank. The tip of the sensor sticks into the liquid and monitors the minimum level of the storage tank. If the staff forgets to fill the storage tanks, the liquid level drops below the sensor’s tip, which raises the temperature. If the O2 level in the room drops below the critical threshold, both a local alarm and a XiltriX alarm are activated as well. XiltriX monitors and reports any deviations. In addition to flashing light alarms, XiltriX sends alarm notifications to staff using text messages, emails, or phone calls from an automatic system in the event of a deviation or failure.

XiltriX also monitors the temperatures of fridges and freezers, as well as any door openings. All laboratory conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, particles, and VOCs, even backup generators in the event of a power failure. Additionally, the XiltriX system has a built-in battery with a 48-hour lifespan, providing continuous monitoring and data acquisition if a power failure occurs. All data is secure and automatically backed up to a secondary network location, and any device malfunction is immediately reported.

The seamless operation of XiltriX is due in part to its impeccable engineering and its high-quality manufacturing. Laboratories are environments where extreme conditions often occur, as the use of liquid nitrogen at extremely low temperatures is very common. As a result, the engineering and materials used in any monitoring equipment need to be able to withstand harsh conditions for long periods of time. The XiltriX solution’s industrial-grade hardware is not only built to last for well over 10 years, but it also self-diagnoses and alerts in case of any failures, adding an additional layer of redundancy and giving customers complete peace of mind.

Before implementation, the IVF laboratory team was thoroughly trained on the XiltriX solution, and the SafetyNet implementation team ensured all sensors were calibrated using calibration equipment traceable to international standards (ISO-17025). This process is repeated annually to ensure continued accuracy and adherence to other quality systems in the lab.

Today, the partnership between XiltriX and ORM is in a new phase where the lab has derived additional value through the use of the CryoFill cryogenic controller for monitoring the lab’s automatically filled cryogenic storage tanks. Through continuous research and development, and close cooperation with partners, XiltriX continues to offer unparalleled monitoring solutions for IVF laboratories.

To learn more about how XiltriX protects critical IVF samples, read our recent case study: Understanding the Meaning of Alarms Saved Assets in 12 CO₂ Incubators: