15 Years XiltriX at Brussels IVF: Evolution of a Monitoring Partnership

When Brussels IVF, the centre for reproductive medicine of UZ Brussel, needed to move equipment to multiple different lab areas in 2010, the existing monitoring provider was no longer able to meet the requirements. The lab wanted to have the ability to monitor all equipment with one centralized monitoring platform which has been a central requirement ever since. There was also a strong awareness that the provided solution needed to be secure in the highly complex university hospital IT network, which meant a partner needed to be chosen that could provide the right system and service level.

When XiltriX was chosen to provide monitoring for the Brussels IVF facility, the first rollout was relatively modest. Only, the most important cryogenic storage vessels and containers were outfitted with sensors. Soon after though, XiltriX was asked to connect different parts of the lab, like culture incubators. For integration of the next generation benchtop incubators, XiltriX was also asked to consult. A process in which it was important to work in close cooperation with the manufacturer of the equipment and the Brussels IVF lab team.

The Story of Brussels IVF

Co-founder of the and long-standing active member of ESHRE, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Brussels IVF pioneered ICSI, a revolutionary fertilization technique whereby a single sperm cell is injected into the oocyte. Today, 70% of all IVF treatments around the world use this technique. With more than 7000 transfers (fresh and cryo) per year, UZ Brussel performs by far the most cycles in Belgium and has consistently shown to be able to provide one of the highest success rates of all Belgium fertility clinics. In terms of quality, The Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) laboratory already achieved ISO-15189 accreditation in 2005. Although this ISO standard is quite unique in Belgium, it is the strictest certification in the medical laboratory world. In terms of clinical care, Brussels IVF obtained ISO certification for Care and Wellness (EN-15224). This is the highest attainable standard and places great emphasis on the care process and important aspects for the patient such as clear communication, patient safety, patient satisfaction, and risk management.

*Source: https://www.brusselsivf.be/en/about-brussels-ivf/

Stages of the Implementation Process

The Brussels IVF facility has seen a dramatic and steady increase in the number of treatments over the years, like cryopreservation of gametes after a cancer diagnosis, social freezing, in vitro maturation (IVM) in combination with ex-vivo IVM, donor-acceptor cycles through the Egg bank. This has resulted in a large number of samples requiring storage in the long-term cryopreservation facility, further reinforcing the need for large storage capacity in a small cryo room footprint. In close cooperation with Cryo Solutions, the CryoXiltriX concept was installed and retrofitted onto a large number of vessels from different brands providing one integrated centralized solution.

Mr. Yves Guns, Equipment Manager for IVF Brussels commented: “Having full monitoring and visibility on all of our cryogenic storage vessels’ parameters is imperative to mitigate the risks of long-term cryogenic storage facility and to act before a real issue appears. The data provided by systems like XiltriX is extremely useful during audits of our quality system to proof to auditors we are always in control.”

Cryopreservation was not the only point of interest. Brussels IVF uses 23 separate benchtop incubators with room for incubating embryos of 230 simultaneous patients. Manually checking the temperature and CO₂ levels and important parameters of all of these devices is simply impossible. XiltriX International was requested to consult with the benchtop incubator’s manufacturer, providing assistance in the integration during the design and validation process. This resulted in a device that was ready to be seamlessly integrated with the monitoring system straight from the factory.

Mr. Han Weerdesteyn, CCO for XiltriX International, said: “Integration with monitoring systems is very frequently overlooked during the design process of a new piece of equipment. Suppliers do not realize that, after the MDR certification, making changes to the design is no longer allowed, and will give rise to huge costs and a lengthy recertification process.”

Monitoring the cryopreservation room and equipment of the labs was not enough to mitigate all risks. Brussels IVF laboratories are built just like pharmaceutical cleanrooms with integrated HEPA and VOC filters. All critical parameters like room temperature, relative humidity, power and VOC levels are continuously monitored by XiltriX. XiltriX is even used to provide ongoing calibration of heated surfaces and microscope heated plates to prevent under- and overheating due to changing environmental conditions.

Mr. Yves Guns shared his experiences: “We have great experience with the stability and performance of XiltriX. There is optimal cooperation between the XiltriX team and the UZ Brussels team. By utilizing the combined knowledge and experience of both teams, risks and costs can be reduced and quality optimized.”

Why Brussels IVF continues to choose XiltriX

In a challenging environment like an IVF laboratory, there are not many suppliers able to provide the high-quality solutions required for continuous monitoring of all critical parameters. Suppliers need to be a partner, understanding the needs of the market and have scientific knowledge to understand its challenges. Having the ability to grow with the changing requirements, moving lab locations and integration of new types of equipment requires a special and dedicated team.

Mr. Yves Guns commented: “We use the XiltriX alarm functionality on a daily basis, the combination of alarm beacons, sirens, bi-directional SMS and e-mail messages with cascading telephone calls is unique in the industry. We also recognize the important role XiltriX plays in the integration of independent monitoring sensors with the equipment provided by other manufacturers. This kind of added value is something we expect from all our suppliers.”

How Brussels IVF uses XiltriX Brussels IVF is currently real-time monitoring multiple hundreds of sensors in the clinical laboratory environment. UZ Brussel is a university hospital and scientific research is an integral part of its activity. A training lab facility is also provided in which a full XiltriX monitoring system is provided to both national as well as international embryologists in training.

Mr. Yves Guns said: “I have seen quality monitoring systems becoming increasingly demanding over the years. This is one of the reasons why I moved from the lab to facility Management. Using XiltriX systems both in the clinical as well as the training lab allows junior embryologists to understand the importance of and get acquainted and fully trained with monitoring solutions.”

The XiltriX system is currently supplied to Brussels IVF as a solution hosted by the IT department of the hospital. The XiltriX International IT team has worked together with the UZ Brussel IT team providing a security hardened solution that can be accessed from any client attached to the network or via a remote computer that has appropriate VPN access. All appropriate staff have a login with only the necessary authorizations. All actions are therefore traceable to the person, date and time and all reasons for excursions and issues are securely logged in the XiltriX database. All sensors are annually calibrated, and the software platform is kept up to-date to prevent any security issues and provide the Brussels IVF staff with the latest functionality.

The Results and what is next

Having successfully integrated all critical parameters into the XiltriX systems, it is now time to look ahead. By optimizing the acceptance of users and providing easier access to the data in a more easily digestible format will further optimize efficiency. The XiltriX API allows for easy integration of visualization screens in different sizes and form factors.

Mr. Yves Guns commented: “I am very interested in utilizing the visualization screen technology. By removing this threshold, all important data for all parts of the lab will be more apparent to users in a blink of an eye.”

Alongside the visualization of data, integration of XiltriX data with third party systems is something to be desired. Brussels IVF already utilizes electronic witnessing systems and time-lapse incubators. With a rising need and desire to provide more transparent reports to patients, automation of the reporting process is going to be imperative to prevent too much time spent on manual queries.

Mr. Han Weerdesteyn said: “The XiltriX API integrations are very important in getting laboratories the information automation they desire. By providing real-time data and just-in-time access to our database, data does not have to be duplicated but can be securely retrieved and processed by trusted partners in automated solutions. The added value of XiltriX is not just the technological component, but also the knowledge in bringing partners together and building a successful integration.“

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