Board Will Help Advance Use of ProteX Sperm Collection Container to Improve Specimen Quality
DALLAS, TX – Reproductive Solutions (RSI), creator of the patented, FDA-listed ProteX semen collection container, today announced the formation of an advisory board to assist the company in advancing its mission of improving fertility treatment outcomes. The ProteX solution is central to that mission with multiple studies documenting its ability to improve specimen quality for in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies.
In contrast to urine specimen cups traditionally used for semen collection, the ProteX container uniquely combines an insulated design with an interior funnel that directs sperm to a small holding well. This design prevents severe temperature fluctuations, minimizes the surface area exposed to the environment, and preserves a high-quality sample for up to 48 hours compared to the 45 to 60 minutes of standard 50-year-old collection methods. The longer sample viability not only increases motility, sperm count and fertilization capability but also enables at-home collection that both eases pressure on men and relieves bottlenecks at fertility clinic labs.
At next month’s American Association of Bioanalysts conference, Dr. Samuel Prien from Reproductive Solutions will present the results of a clinical study authored by Drs. Eric Forman and Zev Williams from Columbia University Fertility of nearly 2,000 patients where ProteX was compared to the traditional method of semen collection. The results of this and other studies continue to suggest that ProteX supplies better quality sperm for use in assisted reproductive procedures such as IUI, IVF and possibly even ICSI.
Reproductive Solutions advisory board members will help raise industry awareness of these benefits by interfacing directly with IVF/ART professionals at industry meetings, assisting in the development of educational and training materials, providing opportunities to observe ProteX implementation in their clinical practices, and offering strategic suggestions for advancing ProteX adoption based on their deep knowledge of the IVF/ART space. They will also share their insights on industry trends to help guide new product development. Members include:
- Richard G. Rawlins, a Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology and of Anatomy & Cell Biology at Rush Medical College in Chicago and Past President of the Chicago Association of Reproductive Endocrinologists. Dr. Rawlins has also been actively involved in development of accreditation standards for clinical IVF laboratories through his work on the Executive Committee of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), and through the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB).
- Juergen Lieberman, Director of Laboratories at the Fertility Center of Illinois since 2004. Working in the IVF field since 1995 and certified as a high-complexity clinical laboratory director through the American Board of Bioanalysis, Dr. Lieberman is also the Scientific Co-Chair of the Council of Physician and Scientists, the nation’s largest private network of physicians and embryologist dedicated to the field of human reproduction, and co-author of Vitrification in Human Assisted Reproduction.
- Matthew ‘Tex’ VerMilyea, Vice President of Scientific Advancement for Texas-based Ovation Fertility, where he serves as a scientific resource and operational advocate for the nationwide network of Ovation IVF labs. Before joining Ovation Fertility seven years ago, Dr. VerMilyea served as Scientific Director of Texas Fertility Centers, Scientific Director at Fertility Associates of New Zealand, and Director of Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Andrology labs at The University of Pennsylvania Fertility Care.
- Marc Brignola, Global Vice President of Sales at Biotech Inc. with more than a decade of executive sales and marketing experience providing state-of-the-art IVF/ART equipment and devices to reproductive laboratories and fertility clinics worldwide. Brignola began his IVF/ART career in field sales responsible for the Midwest region of the United States. Over the past 13 years, he has developed deep relationships with key individuals throughout the world.
All four advisory board members also serve on Reproductive Solutions’ Scientific Advisory Board, which supplies scientific and medical expertise to assist the company in its efforts to improve semen collection methodology as a means of improving outcomes for infertile couples.
“Gen X and millennial couples who try to start their families at older ages are facing the reality that sperm quality declines with age. As a result, getting the best possible specimen to first understand the health of your sperm and then for use in IVF or other ART treatments is increasingly critical to helping infertile couples conceive,” said Diana Peninger, President and CEO of Reproductive Solutions. “Our ProteX collection method is the first advance in this area since IVF began, and all of our board members are committed to helping us make it sperm collection technology of choice for fertility clinics.”
About Reproductive Solutions
Reproductive Solutions (RSI) is a medical device company dedicated to helping couples fulfill their dream of having a family. Its flagship product, the ProteX at-home semen collection container, was developed by reproductive health specialists at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. For more information, visit rsifertility.com