Complimentary Webinar Recording Available
Presented to the Colorado State University Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Lab
Title: pH in Embryo Culture Practices
Presenter: Embryology Product Specialist Susan Olds
Media pH is dynamic and changes during embryo culture. With the SAFE Sens® TrakStation® it is now possible to monitor this dynamic pH profile. During the webinar we discussed some of these pH findings in order to better demonstrate how incubator equipment and common lab operations play a role in maintaining pH in media samples. Lab results and examples of pH profiles in large format and both humidified and non-humidified benchtop incubators were presented and discussed. Profiles included:
- Normal pH profile
- pH Equilibration Profiles (different Oil types and different volumes of oil)
- pH Stabilization Profiles (thermal Conductivity CO2 Sensors)
- pH Stabilization Profiles (Infrared CO2 Sensors)
- pH Changes in Dry incubation
- pH Fluctuations when incubator function is disrupted
Finally, Susan discussed the benefits from pH monitoring that were incorporated into Clinical Protocols. A special thanks to the labs who provided data for this presentation!
Check Out Our Other Webinars
Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions on Embryo Culture pH Practices
In this webinar, BCSI Embryology Product Specialist Susan Olds covers questions frequently asked by labs globally such as:
- How much pH variation is harmful during embryo culture?
- What degree of variation can be acceptable for quality control parameters?
- What impact does daily lab functions and/or the HVAC schedule have on culture pH?
After covering these and other frequently asked questions, live participant questions are also addressed.
pH Monitoring in Embryo Culture Conditions
During the Webinar, we shared some of these pH findings in order to better demonstrate how incubator equipment and common lab operations play a role in maintaining pH in media samples.
Embryology Specialist Susan Olds discusses lab results and examples of pH profiles, both in large format and benchtop (humidified and non-humidified) incubators. The webinar is concluded with a Q&A session at the end.
Real World Best Practices in IVF Cell Culturing- Continuous pH monitoring
Presented by Klaus Wiemer PhD, Lab Director of POMA Fertility Clinic in Kirkland, Washington and Steven Geelhood, SAFE Sens® Project Manager.
Klaus Wiemer PhD discusses the benefits of continuous non-invasive pH monitoring and shares clinical practices that were optimized by POMA Fertility as a result of their utilization of the SAFE Sens system within their incubators including:
- Longer equilibration times for dish preparation
- Increased oil overlay to prevent evaporation
Steven Geelhood (SAFE Sens Project Manager) then shared data collected from labs utilizing the SAFE Sens continuous pH monitory system. Graphs were presented and analyzed for the following scenarios wherein cell culture conditions were manipulated thus causing changes to the pH over time.
- Initial equilibration of media with time scale
- Equilibrated media with or without oil
- CO2 set point changes
- Effect of loss of CO2
How to Monitor pH Dynamics to Avoid Negative Effects on Gamete/Embryo Development and Function
Presented by Michael Simile
The presentation will cover the following topics followed up by questions and answers.
1. Optimal pHo vs. pHi: How important is pHo in regards to the pHi? As a lab technician, should I worry about pHo? Human embryo pHi is ~7.1 (Phillips et al. 2000). How do I monitor the pHo and can we have any impact on the outcome?
2. CO2 vs. pH Measurements: CO2 readings and measurements can differ widely depending on the method and the equipment used to measure CO2. The question is always: Are all incubators CO2 readings reliable? Should every cell culture lab own a CO2 analyzer? How often should I measure the CO2? How often should I calibrate the CO2 sensor? These are very relevant questions that we will try to answer during our webinar.
3. The 3 phases of Media pH: Is pHo a sample measurement or a measurement in time? How should a lab handle these three phases and what are the important factors during measurement?
4. Measurements of pHo: There are different ways and technologies to measure pHo, but what is the best and most reliable technology today to measure it? If any, what factors contribute to sustain the claim that there is a “best” technology?
Improving Embryo Culture Conditions Yields Stable pH and Decreased Evaporation
The webinar is presented by Susan Olds of the POMA Fertility Clinic in Kirkland, Washington and is based on her 2015 ASRM Poster Presentation.
The presentation focuses on an analysis of Embryo Culture media pH changes during Incubator use and media evaporation under oil using a Continuous pH monitoring system. The study objectives, methods and conclusions are highlighted followed up by live participant questions and answers.
Key takeaways include:
- Determination of ideal oil volume for embryo culture drops to prevent evaporation
- Impact of evaporation on critical media properties including pH and osmolality
- Effect of bench top lid openings on media pH
Have embryology or culture media questions or topics you would like to discuss?
Feel free to contact me with your suggestions, and they could be addressed in our upcoming web email series.
Susan Olds
Embryology Product Specialist
Blood Cell Storage, Inc.
Tel: +1.425.654.8462 (D)
Email: susan.olds@safesens.com