The Only Fertility Clinic In Africa With a RI Witness System
To safeguard our patients’ eggs, sperm and embryos, Medfem Fertility Clinic has proudly been using the electronic RI Witness system in our In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) laboratory for more than 14 years. We are still the only IVF clinic in Africa using this system.
The system helps to mitigate the risk of human error every time your samples and/or gametes are moved from one dish or tube to another in our world-class lab, safeguarding every step of the IVF cycle to ensure a higher success rate in our IVF treatments. In this article, we find out more about this amazing technology and how it benefits our patients.
Because it helps to safeguard your gametes – more commonly known as eggs, sperm and embryos – throughout an In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) cycle, the RI Witness is increasingly becoming the standard for security in clinics around the world.
Always at the forefront of the latest assisted reproductive technologies, Medfem Fertility Clinic has been offering this absolute peace-of-mind to our patients for more than 14 years. And we are still the only IVF clinic in Africa where you will find this superb security system, which provides great reassurance that your precious samples are safeguarded.
What is the RI Witness?
Dr Rodrigues explained this sophisticated system in more detail in a recent video.
“RI witness is a sample security system, helping to safeguard your eggs, sperm and embryos throughout the IVF cycle. The system has been created to help prevent errors that may occur during ART or Assisted Reproductive Therapy treatment cycles. This electronic witnessing system supports and guides embryologists in their daily work by monitoring sample movements from one dish or tube to another within the laboratory, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“Choosing a clinic with RI Witness security allows you to rest assured that your samples are being managed and tracked in the most secure as possible way. At Medfem Fertility Clinic, we invested in this system for the last 14 years to ensure extra measures and precautions are in place to provide the highest possible security for safeguarding your samples. We do this, because as a clinic with the RI Witness, we place you at the forefront of our priorities and at the centre of our patient-centric philosophy.”
Why is the RI Witness system used?
CooperSurgical, suppliers of the RI Witness, comments that since the first use of RI Witness by a clinic in 2007, they have continued to work closely with leaders in the field to constantly improve this support and safeguarding system which helps and guides embryologists throughout the IVF cycle.
The company says: “We know that embryologists are some of the most dedicated, exacting professionals you can meet. They pride themselves in the care and attention they give each and every patient. The RI Witness helps to ensure that every step of the fertility cycle, within the lab, is managed properly and securely, helping to maintain the safety of each patient’s samples.”
RI Witness is now the world’s most established and trusted ART (Assisted Reproductive Therapy) electronic witnessing system, installed in over 40 countries across six continents. Using RI Witness gives a fertility clinic a competitive advantage while offering a secure, patient-orientated service.
How does the RI Witness system work?
The RI Witness helps safeguard your samples during ART processes – from start to finish.
It uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to detect and monitor all activity in the IVF laboratory. The system helps mitigate the risk of human error every time samples are moved.
This is how it works in six simple steps.
1. Each patient is assigned an ID card/unique personal code, at egg retrieval or sperm collection.
2. ID tags containing this unique personal code are fixed to all plasticware that holds patient samples.
3. Every work area in the lab detects wireless signals from these ID tags. They are identified, tracked and recorded at each step of the ART process.
4. RI Witness confirms the identity of samples and allows the embryologists to proceed to insemination.
5. Two different patients’ samples cannot be worked on at the same time. In the unlikely event that samples are mismatched, the system alerts the embryologist, stops proceedings and helps prevent any potential errors.
6. Prior to embryo transfer the patient’s ID card is automatically checked against the tagged embryo dish.
RI Witness is increasingly becoming the standard for security in clinics around the world.
Cutting-edge ART technology
RI Witness is not the only cutting-edge technology you will find at Medfem’s purpose-built medical and surgical facility.
Opened in 1992 and located in close proximity to the Sandton MediClinic, Medfem Fertility Clinic is a state-of-the-art clinic with consultation offices, exam rooms, laboratory facilities, a surgical suite and a specialist dedicated fertility pharmacy.
As an independent practice, Medfem Fertility Clinic maintains the capacity to provide cutting-edge technology and medical advancements that smaller clinics are unable to provide. Medfem also invests significantly in advanced research and development (R&D) and ensures the facilities are equipped with world-class technology.
Medfem Fertility Clinic offers the full spectrum of fertility treatments including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), assisted hatching, egg and sperm donation, and gestational surrogacy as well as more basic fertility procedures such as intrauterine inseminations (IUI). We also provide services for those who need microsurgical sperm aspiration or electroejaculation. The availability of technologies such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is of great benefit to women with a history of miscarriage, failed IVF cycles and in those of an older maternal age, while Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) assists couples struggling with issues involving age, repeated IVF failures, recurring miscarriages, or genetically abnormal pregnancies.
Medfem Fertility Clinic is also one of the first institutions in South Africa to have developed a fully comprehensive operating theatre with all the necessary equipment to perform minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopy. In fact, our facilities are a centre for advanced minimally invasive surgery. Most of the surgical procedures performed at Medfem are done in our state-of-the-art theaters, which are fully equipped and specially designed for minimally invasive surgery.
Not surprisingly, Medfem’s pregnancy rates are among the highest. The primary success rate – represented by the percentage of clinical pregnancies per embryo transfer procedure (CPR/ET) – is well above the national rates in South Africa and compares to the best internationally.
A leader in fertility care, Medfem performs an average of 1,100 IVF treatment cycles a year – and is proud to have played a role in bringing more than 18,000 babies into the world.
Enjoy absolute peace of mind on your fertility journey
At Medfem we believe in helping you reach your family dream through:
* World-Class Fertility for Everyone – we believe in making world-class fertility treatments available for everyone
* A Positive Fertility Journey – It is our joy and commitment to give you a positive outcome to your fertility journey
* Delivered With Empathy & Caring – So you may have a fond memory, of a feeling of empathy, caring and being part of the Medfem family
If you would like to meet one of our fertility specialists at Medfem Fertility Clinic, simply click here https://medfem.co.za/contact-us/ to book an initial consultation or contact us telephonically on +27 (11) 463 2244.
Our Fertility Specialists can also meet with You During a Virtual Consultation Via Zoom or Skype. Click here https://medfem.co.za/virtual-consultation/ to book a virtual consultation now.
We look forward to meeting you at Medfem Fertility Clinic!