Importance of Quality Control in IVF Lab

Quality control (QC) is the most important component of the IVF Clinic. QC evaluates the quality of the procedure & its outcome. It is mandatory to monitor laboratory conditions (Air Quality, Temperature, and VOC’s etc), Stimulation protocols, Culture media & technical skill coordination etc to ensure quality control. The IVF lab which follows good laboratory practices they can facilitate the results of IVF by giving the best outcome to their patients.

Need of Quality Control in IVF Lab

• It ensures the quality of the procedure
• Increase the success rate
• Increase the reliability of IVF lab
• Complete traceability & Documentation
• Build up IVF team confidence 

• IVF Laboratory Equipments

Incubators The change in temperature & Co2 level can affect the oocytes & embryos quality. So, carbon dioxide & temperature should be recorded on daily basis. If anything altered it should be calibrated as per requirement.

Laminar Air Flow: The laminar flow need to clean on daily basis before & after the completion of task.

Refrigerators: The location of the refrigerator should be outside the core embryology area as it releases harmful gases which are not good for IVF Lab. Also thermometer should be placed inside the refrigerator to see the temp on daily basis.

Microscopes: They should be cleaned everyday to remove unwanted dust particles.

Heated Stages:  Temperature is a very crucial parameter as it can cause spindle damages etc. So, gametes handling should be done strictly on heated stages at 37°c to avoid any kind of damage.

Below given table will help to know that how often the test is done to check equipment working.

• Culture Media

Oocytes & embryo are very sensitive & a little change in their environment like ph, osmolarity etc can cause harmful effects to them. So the cultural conditions should be favorable for them. So it is important to understand the need of culture media

• While receiving media from any company ensure that the cold chain of media is well maintained. Never accept broken seal of the order.
• Always see the expiration date of Culture media before use in any case.
• Always store your media in refrigerator with required temperature conditions.

• IVF Laboratory Environment:

The laboratory environment is mostly affected by the following reasons:

• If clinic is located near to construction sites, on highway, factories then there are a major risk of dust particles & pollutants. So, Hepa Filter is necessary for such laboratory. As it removes 99.99% of small 0.3 microns in size dust particles.
• Use of cosmetics in IVF should be prohibited. Cosmetics emit VOC’s & can cause negative effect to embryos.
• Laboratory cleaning is done on daily basis using disinfectants.
• If any kind of fluid spilage is found then it should be cleaned with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. 

• Protocols to be followed when working IVF Laboratory: 

• IVF Laboratory should have well trained staff. The embryology work is very sensitive so expertise is required.
• The laboratory should keep on updating the protocols. Inhouse modifications in methodology should be done for betterment.
• IVF Lab should remain up to date with the latest technology.
• Dishes Preparation should be done at room temperature. One culture dish is prepared at a time to maintain the osmolarity.
• Ethical practice while handling the gametes. Label the dishes before OPU. Avoid mixing of samples by labeling containers.
• Witnessing should be a compulsory practice in IVF laboratory.
• Wearing gloves, cap & mask in laboratory is must. Hand washing is essential before entering IVF laboratory.
• Discard sharp objectives & pipettes after single use.
• The documentation is very important in IVF lab system. It helps to recall the past events. So proper documentation in IVF is necessity. For eg: Patient Records, QC data, Complaint Data 

QC is the essential component of IVF laboratory. It is our responsibility not a burden. Infact, it helps in troubleshoot. QC ensures the success rate & even the reputation of the clinic. And we at Reviva Fertility Clinic & IVF Centre In Chandigarh follow all the ethical practices & make sure at every step that the outcome should not be affected at any cost. For more information on the IVF Procedure and their cost in Chandigarh you can contact us: 8288028667