Encino IVF Laboratory Center for Fertility and Gynecology
Utilizing State of the Art: RI Witness - Safe Guarding Eggs, Sperm & Embryos throughout the IVF Cycle.
In 2002, our embryology/andrology laboratory was built from the ground up in an exclusive medical facility. Sparing no costs, no detail was left unnoticed in the construction of the lab, including a separate back-up power supply unit in addition to the facility's own generators, to ensure no harm to incubated embryos in the event of a power failure.
A specialized system of sensors maintains uniform pressure, temperature, and ventilation settings to optimize stable culture conditions for embryos. High air exchange per unit time, and a specifically designed anti-contamination working suite, ensure an environment of maximum sterility.
The laboratory is fully equipped with state of the art instrumentation enabling our embryologists to perform the most advanced procedures in In Vitro Fertilization, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), including Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, Assisted Hatching, and Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis.
Facility Center
When you arrive at our practice, you will be greeted by our warm and friendly receptionist. She will also help you get ready for your procedure. Our state-of-the-art fertility center uses the safest, most advanced equipment when it comes to egg collection, embryo transfers, sperm preparation, and the insemination process itself.
IVF Lab
Our state-of-the-art IVF laboratory is equipped with some of the most advanced research technology and is run by renowned embryologists.
IVF Electronic Witness System: RI Witness
State of the Art Technology
We understand you want to know everything is being taken care of as you embark on a life changing journey! The Center for Fertility & Gynecology has recently installed RI Witness™ – an electronic tracking and witnessing system which uses radio frequency ID technology to monitor all IVF Laboratory activity to ensure that samples used during the IVF process do not become mixed up. RI Witness safeguards eggs, sperm & embryos throughout an IVF cycle.
At the beginning of an IVF cycle, the patient receives an ID card. This card is then placed in readers located in the laboratory and/or procedure rooms registering the ID of their samples. Radio frequency tags are attached to all dishes and tubes in which samples are stored. RI Witness constantly monitors the samples’ ID as they are transferred from one tube to another throughout the entire process until the cycle is complete. The system will only allow us to work with your sample when the registered dishes and/or patient ID card are in the workstation. In the unlikely event that samples from different patients are brought into the same work area in the laboratory; alarms will sound, stopping any procedure and preventing any potential mistakes.
Taking Security to the Next Level
In the past we carried out double witnessing manually, which is effective. However, this new system will make witnessing more efficient and circumvent any potential problems that have occurred in other hospitals/clinics.
The electronic witnessing system offers increased confidence that patient samples are safe and will not be mixed up during treatment. RI Witness™ takes security to the next level giving patients every confidence that it is their samples we are using and means they can go home with absolute certainty.
Meet Our Team
Melissa Burton - Embryology Lab Manager/Clinical Senior Embryologist
Michael Eagle - Clinical Senior Embryologist
Allyse Alex - Clinical Senior Embryologist
Veronica Oceguerra - LVN
Katya Clark - Front Office Coordinator
Our Lab Director, Dr. Michael Vermesh is joined by Dr. Natalia Belova, Melissa Burton, Michael Eagle and Allyse Alex who together make up one of the most experienced embryology teams in Southern California. With over 30 collective years of experience in ART, our team's strict quality control standards have earned our laboratory a full certification with distinction by the College of American Pathologists, a prestigious accreditation shared only by a handful of embryology labs in Southern California.
Superior embryo culture conditions, cutting edge technology, and an experienced laboratory staff have allowed our center to reach unprecedented pregnancy success rates.
