ZILOS-tk® Customer Testimonials

James Graham, M.S., Michael Tucker, Ph.D., Taer Han, B.S. Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center

As the Laboratories Manager for Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center, James Graham knows what it takes to help patients win the infertility battle. Shady Grove, one of the most successful fertility programs in the country, has 9 locations throughout the metropolitan Washington D.C. area, with its IVF laboratory located in Rockville, MD. This year alone, Graham estimates that over 3,000 fresh IVF cycles will be performed, and says “we could not imagine managing this number of patients without the help of our 3 ZILOS-tk laser systems.”

Shady Grove initially chose the ZILOS-tk over competitive systems due to its relative ease of use and safety. Graham particularly likes “the fact that you can just sit down and use the system without any setup” (other than confirming the target location). “It’s a big time saver. More importantly, we can select the laser pulse time to minimize any heat transfer to the embryo,” said Graham.

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Dr. Kylie de Boer, Ph. D., PGD Director, Deputy Director of Embryology; Mr. Steven McArthur, PGD Senior Scientist, Sydney IVF, Sydney Australia

De Boer and McArthur attribute much of the success of their program (98% of all embryos biopsies are successfully diagnosed) to the ZILOS-tk. de Boer says, “the precision of the ZILOS-tk allowed Sydney IVF to move to day 5 trophectoderm biopsy, as the routine biopsy procedure. We are the only laboratory in the world able to make this claim.” The day 5 biopsy is critical because embryos at the fifth day of development are most likely to survive and implant, giving a better chance of pregnancy. Although Sydney IVF still uses Fertilase in their main laboratory, they decided to add the ZILOS-tk to their PGD program for a few reasons. Chief among them is portability. McArthur explains, “Fertilase works well for us in our main laboratory, but it is not portable. The ZILOS-tk is very portable, easy to install and use, and is compatible with most microscopes.” (Editor's Note: the ZILOS-tk is compatible with all inverted microscopes.)

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Dr. Josiane Van der Elst, Scientific Director, and Heleen Laverge, Embryologist Infertility Centre, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent Belgium

In 2001, the Ghent University Hospital IVF lab was looking for the best instrument to use in its pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) program. Helene Laverge, an embryologist with an engineering background, leads the program. She selected the ZILOS because there was a “need for an elegant biopsy system in the PGD program. I chose the ZILOS after careful comparison with competitors. I found the ZILOS to be the safest and most superior laser.”Dr. Van der Elst points out, “the ZILOS fits everybody’s hands. The ZILOS is both time and cost effective in this respect.” She further states that because the ZILOS is so “operator friendly, the amount of time required for training and education is limited.” Dr. Van der Elst feels that “Hamilton Thorne keeps pace with the increased requirements for laboratory quality management necessary to obtain laboratory accreditation,” as demonstrated by continually updating ZILOS software. She also points out that, “Hamilton Thorne’s customer service keeps in touch with the buyer,” and in the event help is needed, “you find a listening ear.”

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Steve Harbottle, Senior Embryologist The Assisted Conception Unit, Glasgow Nuffield Hospital

RESULTS: A 270% increase in successful FET (frozen embryo transfers), from 15% to 41% (under 38 age group)"We looked at three different systems, and decided that the ZILOS was the best system on the market for our needs. It's very compact, fitting into the limited space we had available, without being cumbersome. The software is very user friendly, and allows a virtual gallery of images to be stored, for review or audit purposes. There are a number of novel features, including the Clinical and Research modes, which allow a great deal of control and precision throughout the procedure. The system is robust, and the laser is not knocked out of alignment if the system is moved or inadvertently knocked."

"The ZILOS is a Class 1 laser product, and as such there is no special training required for the operators (in the UK). This was a very important factor in our selection process, as the main competitor's product was at the time a class 3B product and would have required a lot more training and paperwork prior to and after installation. The ZILOS is completely PC driven, and is operated by a mouse, making it very comfortable to use by anyone who is computer literate."

"Hamilton Thorne is a very personable company. I think that is reflected in the fact that Mr. Diarmaid Douglas-Hamilton himself came to visit us and examine our system after our results had dropped for a month or so. (Dust caused by construction turned out to be the source of the problem.) Not many companies would do that for a customer!"

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Roger Simmons, Registered Clinical Scientist, Harley Street Fertility Centre, London UK

RESULTS: A 35% pregnancy rate in most difficult group (40+ and repeat failures)"The ZILOS is a much more precise and controlled technique than the method we used before which required dissolving a small hole in the shell of the embryo using an acid medium. Since we have been using the zona thinning method, we have achieved a pregnancy rate of 35% with a difficult group of patients. The ZILOS is essential to allow this very precise and measured thinning of the shell of the embryo."

"I like its ease of use, it is very easy to set up and largely cuts out operator to operator variation. The software package is also a big plus allowing easy storage of data and pictures. The measurement of a number of parameters such as zona thickness, embryo size and thinned area is also very quick and easy and recorded alongside other data. Targeting and firing are also accurate and easy with extremely repeatable results and the heat penetration rings are also very reassuring."

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