IVF clinics are limited to a birth rate of less than 40% all around the world, despite the different techniques used by each country to increase this percentage. Doctors are always looking to work with university labs to find ways to increase the success rate of the procedure and, thus have more people being able to start a family.
The standard HVAC systems used in IVF clinics are no different than the ones installed for high rise buildings, hospitals and commercial buildings. The filters available on the market offer different levels of effectiveness to capture particles and treat VOCs. Yet, bacteria and other contaminants are so small that they go through the system and have a direct impact on the fertilization of the eggs.
With the help of Dr. Katy Worrilow Ph.D., from Penn State University, Sanuvox has evaluated the actual standard method of filtration used in the industry and suggested the use of a high dosage of germicidal UV, UVC. The proposed solution included the Sanuvox patented Biowall and high-performance filtration in an HVAC duct where the air speed was maximised at 250 feet/minute, which is much slower than the previous standard system operating at 800 feet/minute.
Enlarging the HVAC duct had a direct impact on the air speed, and allowed for space to mount two (2) 60’’ Biowalls, side by side, parallel to the airflow. Sanuvox suggested these units based on the specific contaminants that Dr. Worrilow wanted to target, allowing for 99.99% destruction on a single pass of air.
Dr. Worrilow and her team have launched a company called LifeAire Systems that now has 46 installations of the LifeAire technology in leading IVF and healthcare facilities in the United States, such as the Mayo Clinic, Stanford, UCSF, Wake Forest, Iowa, UConn, Northwestern and several other fine institutions. The results in birth rates are all over the 55% marker from the existing 35% average. This fantastic success led to the registration of over 26 patents using the Sanuvox technology. More importantly, more people have the joy of having children that otherwise would have not been possible.