Advanced Technology - Witness system

What is the Witness System?

The witness system is a modern advancement in the field of IVF (in vitro fertilization), commonly adopted in developed countries where regulations are beginning to mandate its use. Its primary purpose is to enhance traceability and minimize the risk of mix-ups in IVF procedures. However, only a limited number of clinics have integrated this technology into their practices.

Without a Witness System in place, embryologists face a higher risk of mismatching biological samples during critical procedures, which could lead to legal and regulatory issues. Additionally, such incidents may cause significant emotional distress for patients and result in a loss of trust in the IVF process, potentially affecting their willingness to pursue future treatments. There have been real-world cases where embryos were mistakenly transferred between couples, and in some instances, pregnancies were carried to term despite the error.

Mix-ups are most likely to occur during sensitive clinical and laboratory stages involving the handling of gametes and embryos. The absence of a Witness System increases the likelihood of such incidents, making its implementation crucial for accuracy, safety, and patient confidence.

Some common errors are:

Human errors
Non-contemporaneous checking
Omissions
Incomplete checks

By outlining each step of the process, the witness system helps ensure embryologists do not miss any crucial tasks. Its adoption is quickly growing across fertility clinics worldwide. This system tracks every point where gametes or embryos are moved between containers, allowing only one patient’s materials to be handled at a time.

With continuous monitoring, identity checks are never skipped, ensuring accurate and safe handling from the beginning to the end of a treatment cycle. Technically, the system uses very low-level radio waves, making it compatible with the electromagnetic environment commonly found in IVF labs.

Interventions of witness system

Although biological sample mix-ups are considered rare in IVF, they have been documented in several studies. To further minimize such risks during sample handling, some IVF labs have implemented a Witness System. Patients involved were given a questionnaire designed using a 6-point Likert scale.

Despite the system, there remains a possibility of incorrect embryo transfers between couples. The questionnaire helps assess patients’ views on the Witness System both before and after learning about the potential for such mismatches.

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