1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. infertility

ACE/ABA Liquid Nitrogen Training Course, 21st May 2014,
ABA Logbook Supervisors Training 21st May 2014 &
9th ABA Annual General Meeting, 22nd May 2014
Portsmouth Marriott Hotel, Portsmouth
PROGRAMME
21st May
08:30 Coffee and Registration
09:10 Welcome and Introduction - Bryan Woodward, ABA Executive Committee
09.15 Liquid Nitrogen Health & Safety (David Cooke, Thames Cryogenic)
10:30 Coffee Break & Trade Exhibition
11.00 Setting up a Cryostorage Facility (Stephen Harbottle, Cambridge IVF)
11.30 Cryostorage; Best Practice & Legal Requirements (Jason Kasraie, Shropshire & Mid Wales Fertility Centre)
12.00 Buffet Lunch & Trade Exhibition
13.00 Basic Cryobiology in the Embryology Laboratory (Prof. Barry Fuller, UCL London)
14.00 Freezing & Storage of Sperm (Shona Harrison, Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine)
14.30 Cryobank Audits & Patient Recall (David Sanders, Wales Fertility Institute, Cardiff)
15.00 Coffee Break
15.15 Setting up a Liquid Nitrogen User Group for your Facility (Peter Goddard, St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester)
15.45 Adverse Incidents (Mathew Tomlinson, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham)
16.30 Summary and Question Time
17.00 Close of Meeting
13.30 to 16.30 ABA Logbook Supervisors Training (Eileen Mathers, Aberdeen Fertility Centre)
This new venture is open to current supervisors and those about to start in that role. The aim of the session
is to clarify the role of supervising an ABA module and to provide support to those in that position. There
will be a presentation outlining the aims of the ABA modules, the expected standards and assessment
methods, and advice on managing the training. This will be followed by an opportunity for open discussion
on issues that have been raised by previous supervisors as well as those attending the session.
22nd May
09:00 Coffee and Registration
09.50 Welcome and Introduction - Stephen Harbottle, ABA Chair
‘Andrology update – applied andrology in the spotlight’ Chairs: Bryan Woodward & Stephen Harbottle
10:00 Fertility Preservation for the Armed Forces (Jackson Kirkman-Brown MBE, University of Birmingham)
10.30 Post Vasectomy Semen Analysis 2014 ABA/BAS Review (Paul Hancock, ABA Committee Member)
11.00 Coffee & Trade Exhibition
11.20 ‘Gone in 60 Minutes’ - Best practice semen production to ensure a high quality semen analysis
(Prof. Chris Barratt, University of Dundee)
11.50 Sperm factors affecting the outcome of Assisted Reproduction Treatment (Nicolás Garrido-Puchalt, IVI
Valencia)
12.20 Buffet lunch & Trade Exibition
13.20 ABA AGM and election of officers
‘Laboratory Accreditation update’ – Introducing UKAS and ISO15189 Chairs: Karla Biddick & Eileen Mathers
13.50 Transition to ISO 15189: key changes and issues so far (Ben Courtney, UKAS)
14.10 Debate: ‘This house believes that it is impossible to reliably accredit an andrology service against ISO
15189’ Proposing: Bryan Woodward Opposing: Stephen Harbottle
14.45 ‘A compendium of unfortunate events in the andrology laboratory’ (Sue Kenworthy, Portsmouth
Hospitals NHS Trust)
15.15 Andrology Question Time
16:00 Close of Meeting
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course
21st May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Liquid Nitrogen Health & Safety - David Cooke, Thames Cryogenic
David started working for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy
Authority back in 1986 just as the Chernobyl incident happened
and he spent the next 2 years working on the fallout from that
disaster (literally). During this time he qualified with an HND from
what is now Oxford Brookes University. After several years working at the sharp end of science David left for the totally unrelated
field of sales to the building and civil engineering industry, providing everything from road cones to portable buildings. In 1996 bringing together the two strands of science and sales David moved to
Thames Cryogenics and has spent the last 18 years selling cryogenic plumbing to industry throughout the UK and beyond. He also
runs the Marketing Division of the British Cryogenic Cluster.
Liquid Nitrogen Safety
Liquid Nitrogen is one of those marmite things, you either love it or hate it. This presentation will go through what
liquid nitrogen is and how to use it safely. In the same way that electricity can and does cause fatalities if misused
but we couldn’t live without it, so liquid nitrogen, if mistreated, can injure or kill, but with a bit of common sense
and some planning and training, it can be a very useful tool that can be utilised day in, day out, without harm to
users.
Some liquid nitrogen safety elements can be built in to the design and layout of your facility, whilst others are
about Safe Operating Procedures and staff awareness and training. Whilst not intended to replace on site liquid
nitrogen safety training, hopefully this presentation should prompt a fresh look at your own sites and how they
might be improved from a safety perspective.
Setting up a Cryostorage Facility - Stephen Harbottle, Cambridge IVF
Stephen is the Lead Clinical Scientist at Cambridge IVF; a purpose-built NHS fertility
centre. He joined the Cambridge IVF team in 2009 to design and oversee the
construction, validation and licensing of the facilities encompassing a "state of the art"
laboratory cleanroom suite. Since opening in 2011, Cambridge IVF has established a
reputation as a provider of high quality individualised care with a commitment to
patient safety and clinical excellence.
Stephen has 20 years of relevant clinical experience, is current Chair of ABA and
ACE, and is an Andrology Peer Assessor for UKAS to the ISO 15189 International
Standard.
Setting up a Cryostorage Facility
Working with liquid nitrogen is inherently dangerous. A well-designed and wellequipped storage facility is a critical element in reducing risk and improving efficiency
in any assisted conception unit intending to store cryopreserved gametes or embryos
in a safe and compliant environment. There are a multitude of challenges to overcome when establishing a new
cryostore and each project will present its own unique set of issues and limitations. A robust design will focus on
optimising the location, elevation, accessibility and ventilation of the cryostore whilst allowing for careful
consideration of the internal layout and design.
A well-designed cryostore will seamlessly integrate with both the services it requires and the services it supports
to facilitate working practices which are safe, reliable and efficient. Careful consideration should be given to
selecting storage containers, inventory systems, labelling of devices and facility monitoring systems to ensure the
resultant cryostore is not only fit for purpose but is also straightforward to audit and compliant with relevant local,
national and international guidance and legislation.
This lecture will consider the processes involved in the design of a safe and effective cryostore. We will consider
the elements described above in detail using "real world" examples of challenges that may be encountered within
the limitations of existing buildings and locations and suggest how best the impact of such issues can be
overcome in situations where a "blank canvas" is not an option.
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course
21st May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Cryostorage: Best Practice & Legal Requirements - Jason Kasraie,
Shropshire & Mid Wales Fertility Centre Cryogenic
Jason Kasraie is Consultant Clinical Embryologist and HFEA Person Responsible
at the Shropshire & Mid-Wales Fertility Centre in Shrewsbury. He has twenty
years experience in the field, having begun his career in Andrology. He has been
a member of the Association of Clinical Embryologists training committee and is
currently a member of the ACE executive committee.
Cryostorage, Best Practice & Legal Requirements
There are many issues relating to best practice and legal requirements of
cryostorage. Legal cases relating to these issues are regularly hitting the press
and cryostorage carries a high risk of litigation if incidents do occur.
This talk details the current guidelines that are available from both ACE and the
ABA as well as regulations and their interpretation by the HFEA and HTA and the
legal requirements for use of liquid nitrogen. The theoretical risk of transmission
of infective agents through liquid nitrogen and the recommendations and best
practice for amelioration of these risks will also be discussed.
Basic Cryobiology in the Embryology Laboratory - Barry Fuller, PhD; DSc,
Professor in Surgical Sciences and Low Temperature Medicine, UCL Medical School &
Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK. E-mail : [email protected]
Barry Fuller is Professor of Surgical Sciences and Low Temperature Medicine in
UCL Medical School, London, based at the Royal Free Hospital. He completed his
PhD in the former MRC Unit of Medical Cryobiology, and has followed a career in
basic and applied cryobiology, studying low temperature phenomena and their
delivery into clinical services. He has worked across the range of low temperatures
from hypothermia in transplant organ preservation to deep cryogenic preservation
of cells and tissues, including work on embryos, oocytes and ovarian tissues.
He was awarded a DSc degree in 2000, and made a Fellow of the Society of
Cryobiology in 2010
Life in the Freezer – Cryobiology and the Lazarus factor (life back from the
edge)
The ability to hold life in suspended animation has found growing importance
across a range of fields in medicine, and especially in reproductive biology and
infertility services. The different approaches came to be known as cryobiology.
Early advances in cryobiology were made in studies on sperm preservation, quickly
followed by research into embryo and oocyte cryopreservation. The biophysical
effects of the ice-water transition and ways to mitigate the resulting injury to living cells gradually, became clearer.
Cryobiology has historically developed on a pragmatic basis, in order to achieve good functional recoveries of
cells and tissue from ultra-low temperature storage. The power to ‘freeze time’ was soon understood where
management of patients, treatments and living cells could be matched to improve outcomes. This talk will look at
a brief history of applied cryobiology, the ‘pinch points’ which have been identified, and how these have been
addressed to deliver a useful technology , with examples from reproductive biology and elsewhere, mostly at the
level of single cells in small samples . Moving forward, the issues surrounding cryopreservation of more complex
tissues were also investigated as requirements arose for preservation in areas such as ovarian tissue
cryo-banking. Over the past decade, new approaches such as ‘ice-free’ vitrification have been introduced,
bringing their own successes and challenges. Finally, the discussion will touch on new areas of cryobiology
being investigated to achieve better control the essential cooling and warming profiles, improve functional survival
and deliver regulatory compliant technologies as required by modern health services.
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course
21st May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Freezing and Storage of Sperm - Shona Harrison, Bristol Centre for
Reproductive Medicine
Shona has worked as a Research Scientist and Andrologist in fertility clinics in
Bristol since 1989; she helped develop diagnostic tests and sperm research
tests to try to improve the chances of success for fertility patients. She is now the
Senior Andrologist at the Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine; a large NHS
fertility unit. She is responsible for providing diagnostic semen analysis services
to BCRM and the Bristol area CCG GP services, ensuring that current best
practice and WHO standards are adhered to, including training new members of
staff. She ensures a supply of donor sperm and has years of experience in donor
recruitment. She was instrumental in setting up a pre-chemotherapy sperm
freeze service. She has also taught on the University of Bristol’s MSc in Reproduction and Development course for many years. She has been a member of
the ABA Education Committee for several years and helped shape the ABA logbooks; she also acts as supervisor, mentor, marker and examiner for Andrologists undertaking the ABA logbooks.
She is now the ABA log book coordinator.
Freezing and Storage of Sperm
The learning objective is to offer an introduction to aspects of a service to offer sperm freezing and storage for
treatment use and will include ejaculated and surgically retrieved sperm and testicular tissue. Providing an
effective best practice service requires preparation and attention to detail. The aim should be to ensure that the
men, whether they are fertility clients, pre-chemotherapy patients or donors, have a pathway that ensures their
needs are met especially those with anxiety problems, and those who are unwell. The men should be counselled
to obtain effective consents covering sample storage and future treatment use, screened to meet current
regulations, educated to produce the best samples, advised of treatment types their sample will be suitable for
and the need for sufficient sperm to be stored. This lecture will cover aspects of laboratory work including
procuring the best sample, effective witnessing and labelling, sample appropriate processing and preparation,
freezing and thawing techniques to retain fertility potential, awareness of possible causes of cell damage,
information regarding the various packaging plastics, culture and freeze media and freeze systems available to
process and store sperm highlighting the advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered.
Cryobank Audits and Patient Recall - David Sanders, Wales Fertility
Institute, Cardiff & Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
My current role as Lead Andrologist includes secondment to Cardiff to
provide technical expertise for their Andrology department. This has
required me to provide training for staff in the methods described in
WHO 2010.
I was also required to carry out a full audit of the Andrology cryostore
including re-cataloguing all of the dewars and cross referencing back
to the patient storage records and consents. I have been involved
with the development of All-Wales Andrology SOPs and the
configuration of the All-Wales LIMS. In addition I am a member of the
ABA Executive Committee and an Andrology assessor for ISO 15189.
Conducting a Cryobank Audit and Patient Recall
The HFEA requires:
 A documented procedure to review stored embryos and gametes at least once every two years
 A bring-forward system in order to ensure sufficient advance notice of the end of consent period.
 No centre may keep embryos or gametes after expiry of consent.
 The centre should make efforts to stay in contact with patients who have embryos or gametes in storage.
The system of procurement, storage, use or disposal should allow traceability of the process. Where appropriate
stages should be witnessed. Each individual unit will have their own methods to achieve the required outcome.
The aim is to share my experience with audit and recall, to provide an insight into how one unit achieves the
HFEA requirements.
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course
21st May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Setting up a Liquid Nitrogen User Group for your Facility - Peter Goddard,
St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester
Peter has 26 years of experience in working in NHS hospital laboratories,
initially working as a microbiologist and then an andrologist in several
hospitals in the UK. He has worked as a Senior Biomedical Scientist in the
Andrology laboratory at St. Mary’s Hospital in Manchester for the last 12
years. He is the Health and Safety Advisor to the laboratory and has been
Chair of the Trust’s Liquid Nitrogen Users’ Group since its inception nine
years ago. Peter has been a member of the ABA Executive for six years and
is co-editor of the ‘Andrologist’ newsletter.
Setting up a Liquid Nitrogen User Group for your Facility
In 2003 several incidents involving Liquid Nitrogen occurred at Central
Manchester Foundation Trust. Following investigation it was decided that a
forum should be set up assist departments with investigation of incidents,
training and liaison with the medical gas team and the gas supplier. Ten years later and the group meets regularly
to discuss situations common to all users of Liquid Nitrogen across the site. A code of practice has been
implemented that covers many of the concerns faced by the users. This has helped to standardise the storage,
transport and use of Liquid Nitrogen.
This talk will take you through the experience of setting up such a group and discuss the successes and lessons
learnt from the experience.
Adverse Incidents - Mathew Tomlinson, Queen’s Medical Centre,
Nottingham
Matt Tomlinson is clinical scientist in andrology at the University Hospital
Nottingham. He began his career in andrology with a PhD at the old Jessop
hospital in Sheffield and the University Dept of Ob/Gyn. He began his NHS
career at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital spending 5 years there learning the
ropes in a DGH setting. He then moved to Birmingham Women’s Hospital to
develop region-wide andrology services in a more academic setting and
during this time began to develop a special interest in cryopreservation
services and in developing training for laboratory andrologists. A move in
2004 to Nottingham University Hospital saw him take these interests a step
further becoming a founding member of the Association of Biomedical
Andrologists (ABA). He was a major player in writing and launching the ABA
education certificates and guidelines for good practice (editions 1, 2 and 3).
He continues to develop services in Nottingham, achieving CPA
accreditation in 2006, re-awakening its formerly successful sperm donor
bank and expanding the regional fertility preservation services. He has also had a role in innovation which has led
to the successful commercialisation of the Sperminator™, a simple computer assisted semen analysis system.
More recently he has taken a greater role in managing the fertility service and as a lecturer on the MSc course in
assisted reproduction at the University of Nottingham. His publication record is varied with over 50 publications
on topics from basic semen analysis, sperm DNA damage, risk associated with cryopreservation and published a
book on sperm banking with former ABA colleague Allan Pacey. He has been both speaker and organiser for a
number of national and international meetings and remains active with academic societies and professional
bodies.
Adverse incidents
Cryopreservation, whether it is of sperm, embryos, oocytes or patient tissue is arguably the highest area of risk
within an andrology/fertility unit. There are potential hazards related to the safety of both staff and patient
material. If not carefully controlled the consequence of a serious incident could be serious injury (even fatality),
threat of legal action and possibly a threat to the future of the service related. Using real incidents as examples
this lecture concentrates on high priority risk within a cryopreservation service and how specific controls may be
implemented in order to mitigate that risk.
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Fertility Preservation for the Armed Forces - Jackson Kirkman-Brown MBE,
University of Birmingham
Dr. Jackson Kirkman-Brown MBE is Science Lead at
Birmingham Women's Fertility Centre; a Reader in Human
Reproductive Biology at the University of Birmingham and
the Secretary of the British Andrology Society. As Director
of the Centre for Human Reproductive Science (ChRS) in
Birmingham he also leads a strong interdisciplinary
research group in Reproduction. Jackson is actively
engaged in communicating andrology to the public
regularly having been involved with BBC World Service
documentaries and various television projects including
most recently Embarrassing Bodies. Jackson was
awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours for
Services to Clinical Reproductive Medicine particularly
focused on work with testicular trauma in injured
servicemen and then recently had the accolade of being named Healthcare Scientist 2014 by the Chief Scientific
Officer Professor Sue Hill.
Fertility Preservation for the Armed Forces
Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a small but significant number of military personnel
suffering severe perineal injuries. The devastating use of improvised explosive devices (IED) can result in the
combination of high level lower limb amputation, pelvic fracture and severe perineal injury. This injury complex is
now described as the ‘signature injury’ of the current conflict in Afghanistan. The nature and complexity of these
injuries are of a magnitude such that there was little prior experience, and no strong evidence with which to guide
management. During the conflict an outstanding level of acute management of severely injured military casualties
has developed, the role for and novel methods of preserving fertility within this will be discussed.
The role for consideration of fertility preservation within the surgical trauma area in civilian practice will also be
highlighted.
Post Vasectomy Semen Analysis 2014 ABA/BAS Review - Paul Hancock,
ABA Committee Member
Before retirement in 2012 I was employed as head of andrology in the
Somerset Pathology Services, however, I still remain active in the andrology
world both as a locum & invited lecturer.
I joined the British Andrology Society education committee in the mid 1990s
which lead to the first full review of post vasectomy testing in 2002, an interest
that continues to the present day. Whilst on the BAS education committee I
was one of the founding members of the ABA & became the Associations
Treasurer.
Over the years I have been involved in the andrology field as a CPA peer
assessor, plus since 2009 as the Specialist Advisor for Andrology on the CPA
Professional Advisory Committee. I am also now a UKAS peer assessor for
andrology & a member NEQAS Reproductive Sciences Steering Committee.
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
‘Gone in 60 minutes’ - Best Practice Semen Production to Ensure a High
Quality Semen Analysis - Professor Chris Barratt, University of Dundee
Professor Barratt is Head of the Reproductive Medicine Group at the University of
Dundee as well as a clinical scientist (Hon) with NHS Tayside. He graduated with
an Honours degree in Zoology and then completed a Post Graduate Certificate in
Education (University of Wales, Swansea). His PhD, also in Zoology, was under
the supervision of Jack Cohen (sperm selection fame) at the University of
Birmingham. His formative post-doctoral studies and IVF experience was gained
at the University of Sheffield [with Ian Cooke] where they specialized in natural
cycle IVF. From 1997-2005 he was the Scientific Director of the ART Centre at
the Birmingham Women’s Hospital. In 2002 he was awarded Young Andrologist
of the Year (American Andrology Society) for outstanding contributions to the
discipline.
He is a regularly invited speaker at national and international scientific conferences/workshops. He was a member of the WHO Male Fertility Semen Analysis
Taskforce (for both the 4th and 5th editions) and is now director of the new WHO
(2012-2014) Male Fertility Expert Working Group which is devising a new system
for the diagnosis and treatment of the infertile male. He was a member of
the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for 6 years. He has been on the Editorial Board of Human Reproduction, Human Fertility, Biology of Reproduction, Human Reproduction Update and Journal of Andrology.
Currently he is Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Human Reproduction (Impact factor 4.5). His life’s ambition is to see live - Wales comprehensively beat the All Blacks.
Sperm Factors Affecting the Outcome of Assisted Reproduction Treatment
- Nicolás Garrido-Puchalt, IVI Valencia
Dr Nicolás Garrido received his Biological Sciences Degree in 1997 from the
University of Valencia in Spain. He did a pre-doctoral fellowship at the Frauenklinik,
Düsseldorf, Germany. He received his PhD Degree in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in
2001 from the University of Valencia, Spain, and the Extraordinary Prize for his thesis
work in 2002. He also has a Masters degree in Research Methods, Design and
Statistics from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. He is the Director of the
Andrology Laboratory and Sperm Bank at the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad (IVI).
The primary areas of his research are the molecular markers of male infertility and
assisted reproduction. He has published over 100 articles and 40 reviews or book
chapters, and made almost 250 presentations at national and international
congresses.
Sperm properties that affect ART results.
Fertility problems affect about 15-20% of couples being male factor (ability of a man to impregnate a healthy,
fertile woman) responsible for 50% of them. It requires the production of adequate numbers of normal, mature
and physiologically ideal sperm with sufficient mobility and the ability to undergo capacitation and the acrosome
reaction to bind and penetrate the zona pellucida for fertilization, to ultimately create an embryo able to implant
and develop. Defects in any of these necessary characteristics can lead to infertility. This chain is as weak as the
weakest point.
Its diagnosis is extremely difficult, given that this status can vary in short periods of time and also with different
partners. Many causes of male infertility remain unexplained when sperm basic analysis is performed, showing
normal results under the classic WHO criteria subsequently being diagnosed as idiopathic infertility (25%). This
fact clearly points to the need to discover and define more precise and robust fertility markers in sperm to predict
a successful pregnancy, those occult or hidden beyond the basic sperm analysis based on microscopic and
visible traits of the sperm cells. However, this is a complicated issue, given that the markers studied in one of the
partners aim to predict the results obtained by the interaction of both gametes’ result and the endometrium.
All these facts lead to the conclusion that it is necessary to develop new diagnostic tools allowing the assessment
of male fertility potential, to enable a better diagnose, define molecular deficiencies and, if possible, use them to
develop techniques permitting to separate abnormal from normal sperm able to fertilize and result in an embryo
and a term pregnancy. In this lecture, an overview of the molecular markers recently described as involved in
sperm physiology and reproductive success, based mainly on microarray analysis data and DNA fragmentation
will be given.
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Transition to ISO 15189: key changes and issues so far - Ben Courtney,
UKAS
Transition to ISO 15189: Key changes and issues so far
The gap analysis between CPA Standards and assessments and ISO 15189 and UKAS assessments suggested
that laboratories will notice increased focus on internal verification and validation, measurement uncertainty and
traceability. As assessments have been rolled out, these gaps have been confirmed but assessment of a
laboratory’s assurance of the quality of the test as well as clinical staff competence have also proved to be issues
where a more consistent depth to assessment is required.
UKAS will assess the full scope of a laboratory’s activities and this will require increased assessment activity over
the course of a cycle of accreditation. Across other areas of activity within UKAS, this has always been the case
to comply with requirements for Accreditation Bodies and this change is also consistent with the
recommendations of the Barnes Review. This will include extra preparation time and an expectation that
laboratories provide more documentation prior to the visit. It remains the laboratory’s responsibility to perform
their own gap analysis between their management system and ISO 15189 requirements. Laboratories will
propose improvement actions to clear findings and these will be discussed on the day of the visit. This has the
benefit of the laboratory representative and assessor being absolutely clear at the end of the assessment on the
evidence that can be expected. On grant of accreditation, UKAS is required to clearly document the scope of a
laboratory’s accreditation on a publicly available schedule.
A compendium of unfortunate events in the andrology laboratory - Sue
Kenworthy, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Sue has worked as a Biomedical Scientist in both the NHS and private
sector for 30 years. She originally trained in Haematology and Blood
Transfusion in Lewisham but became multidisciplinary in 1987, and went on
to manage two private hospital laboratories in Portsmouth and
Southampton as well as managing health & safety in both hospitals. Sue
trained in basic and advanced andrology in 1992 (Manchester and Bourn
Hall, Cambridge) and has been the Lead Andrologist at Portsmouth
Hospitals NHS Trust since 2006. She has developed a patient-centred
andrology service which helps men to participate more fully in their fertility
journeys and address their current and future lifestyles, creating a healthier
population in a previously untapped patient demographic. The service has
recently won her the runner up award in the Chief Scientific Officer’s Award
for Clinical Leadership in the Advancing Healthcare Awards. As well as
working full-time, Sue is also part way through a doctorate with the University of Portsmouth.
Sue sits on the andrology Steering Committee for the NEQAS Reproductive Science Scheme and is in her
second year as a member of the ABA Executive Committee.
A compendium of unfortunate events
Every laboratory must have a strange or funny story to tell. This talk takes a light-hearted look at various
laboratories’ unusual and bizarre occurrences, which are quite often a result of misunderstanding, poor
communication and management of expectations. Behind every unfortunate event there must be reflection and
action to be able to engineer out of these types of problems in the future. The take-home message is that by
developing more helpful engagement with our clinicians and patients, we can help to reduce uncertainty in more
ways than just for ISO 15189.
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course &
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
21st & 22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
OUR TRADE SUPPORTERS
Procreative diagnostics www.procreative-diagnostics.com
Procreative diagnostics is a startup company which has emerged from
a collaboration at Nottingham University Hospital in order to market and
further develop the Sperminator™. Computer assisted semen analysis
(CASA) has existed more than 25 years but has never been widely
accepted by either the Pathology or Reproductive Medicine
communities. With previous experience of CASA, the scientists behind
PCD believe that the key reasons for this lack of interest in automation
have been: High cost; a lack of Trust (clear validation) and finally a
need for simplification. Many systems have been developed with basic
research in mind and therefore offer features which are not necessarily required in the routine pathology or
assisted conception laboratory. With over 20 years’ experience in diagnostic and treatment-related semen
analysis, those developing the Sperminator™ have therefore aimed to provide a rapid yet accurate estimate of
sperm concentration and motility (and velocity) which is at least as reliable as the best manual method. PCD are
continuing to develop and refine the system and this year will be launching an EQA scheme to support its current
users. The eventual aim is to automate other aspects of the semen analysis and not only reduce manpower
requirements but also the error associated with human intervention.
Origio Ltd
www.origio.com
7 Castlefield Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0SA
Tel: 01737 243869 Fax: 01737 242957 Email: [email protected]
ORIGIO is the leading global company solely dedicated to meeting
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products, micro-pipettes and capital equipment to help clinical teams
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8 Epsom Downs Metro Centre, Waterfield, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5LR
Tel: 01737 363476 Ext 601 Fax: 01737 363480 Blog: http://www.linkam.co.uk/linkam-blog/
Linkam Scientific Instruments have been supplying heating
and cooling stage for over 30 years. These stages are found in
thousands of laboratories, hospitals and universities worldwide
with the most successful heating/cooling stage, the THMS600,
selling over 4000 units.
Linkam develops and manufactures a broad range of heating/
cooling stages for biological applications, to visualize and
assess sample properties. The instruments can be used in conjunction with light microscopes, Raman, IR, other
forms of spectroscopy and X-ray. Linkam Scientific Instruments’ product range now includes stages designed
specifically for Embryology, Andrology and biological assessment and research.
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course &
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
21st & 22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
European Sperm Bank www.europeanspermbank.com
European Sperm Bank ApS, Falkoner Allé 63, 2 floor, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark Direct: +45 69 88 00
55 Phone: +45 38 34 36 00, Fax: +45 38 34 36 46
The European Sperm Bank is one of the leading
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multiple times and found in full compliance with these Directives. Feel free to contact us for further details.
Cryolab Ltd www.cryolab.co.uk
19 Station Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO21 1QD
Telephone: 01243 837177 Mobile: 07738 123048
Cryolab will
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Cryobiosystems
and
Cryobiosystems is worldwide recognised for its HSV High Security
Vitrification Straw, a reliable, fast and secure device for oocyte and
embryo vitrification.
New product lines for ART and Biobanking include new CBSTM
High Security Tube and its opening equipment: SYSO, and the
CRF Nano-Digitcool.
Cryodiffusion offers a complete range of cryo-biological sample storage containers for all biological samples, in
liquid / vapour and dry storage systems, containers are CE marked and fully Medical Device Compliant. In
particular the LO series of dry storage vessels (with controllers) are ideally suited for Andrology.
Hunter Scientific www.hunterscientific.com
Unit 1, Priors Hall, Widdington, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3SB
As well as manufacturing and distributing our own well
established range of Pasteur Pipettes and Micro Tools,
Hunter Scientific are the UK distributors for Nidacon
andrology products, Noblegen Nitrogen Gas & Liquid
Nitrogen generators. We also offer a range of Sterilin
collection pots which are Human Sperm Survival Assayed and
CE Marked.
We are the UK distributors for Cryologic, IVFonline, K-Systems, MTG, Thermo Scientific, NUNC, Kitazato and
Labotect and our Service Team are accredited to work on laboratory equipment from a large range of suppliers.
For Sales enquiries please contact: [email protected] and for Service enquiries please contact
[email protected]
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course &
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
21st & 22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Air Products
www.airproducts.co.uk
9 Air Products PLC, 2 Millennium Gate, Westmere Drive, Crewe. CW1 6AP
0800 389 0202 [email protected]
Protect your investment for the future
with safe and secure samples
Air Products CryoEase® Services has
developed a fully comprehensive project
management solution for the storage of
your samples. From gas supply,
laboratory design, installation, sample storage and training through to ongoing maintenance and support. With
our strong knowledge of liquid nitrogen and class-leading range of Chart freezers, we are able to provide the
optimum turnkey solution to meet your needs.
Liquid Nitrogen is naturally used for Cryopreservation. Here are a few examples of why:

More reliable than mechanical freezers

Low energy requirements

Liquid nitrogen boiling point of -196oc makes it an ideal cryogen
The Chart range of vessels offers a range of benefits to your sample storage needs, including:
• Efficiency – Lowest liquid nitrogen consumption in the industry
• Sample security –temperatures maintained for up to 23 days without liquid nitrogen supply
• Improved Safety – Nitrogen vapour storage considerably reduces the risk of liquid nitrogen “drag-out” when
removing samples from the freezer
• Reduced Carbon Footprint – The low power consumption of the freezers means that the energy requirement is
less than 1% of that for mechanical –150°C freezers. In addition, you won’t require expensive air conditioning, so
as to minimize your carbon footprint.
Microm UK Ltd www.microm.co.uk
Commerce House, Telford Road, Bicester, Oxon OX26 4LD
Tel: 01869 255760 Fax: 01869 321640
Microm - your partner in semen analysis and ART
Microm specialise in the supply of consumable
diagnostic and media products for clinical laboratories &
research units involved in human and veterinary
infertility and reproduction toxicology.
Our products are used by leading NHS and private fertility clinics and research institutes.
J P Medical Ltd www.jpmedpub.com
83 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HW
JP Medical Ltd is publishing Male Infertility: Sperm Diagnosis, Management and
Delivery, edited by internationally recognised consultants Jayant Mehta and Bryan
Woodward. The book provides a comprehensive understanding of various aspects
of male infertility and its treatment. Beginning with an introduction to basic anatomy
and physiology, subsequent chapters include the causes and effects of poor semen
quality, guidance on how to perform semen analysis, cryo-banking and oncology,
ethical and regulatory requirements of using male gametes for fertility treatment,
and future technologies. Click here for more information.
JP Medical Ltd is offering a 15% discount plus free shipping to ABA members on
this or any other related books. Simply quote code ABA14 when you place your order.
Click here for more information.
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course &
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
21st & 22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Wessington Cryogenics Limited www.wessingtoncryogenics.com
2 Gadwall Road
Rainton Bridge South
Houghton le Spring
Tyne & Wear
DH4 5NL
Tel: +44 (0)191 512 0677 www.wessingtonsafetytraining.com
Thames Cryogenics Ltd
www.thamescryogenics.com
Gooch Drive
Didcot
Oxon
OX11 7PR
Tel: +44 (0)1235 815777
Fax: +44 (0)1235 815333
Cryogatt Systems Ltd
www.cryogatt.com
The Folly
Etchingwood Lane
Buxted, East Sussex
TN22 4PT
Tel: 0203 582 5257
Email: [email protected]
Validair (Euro) Limited
www.validair.com
Unit 3 Invicta Business Park
London Road
Wrotham
Kent
TN15 7RJ
Tel: +44(0) 1732 882984
Parallabs Ltd
Fax: +44(0) 1732 882644
Email: [email protected]
www.parallabs.com
parallabs is a specialist supplier of systems and consumables to IVF, Andrology, Transgenic, Cell Biology and
Stem Cell laboratories. We offer leading edge technologies from world class manufacturers to provide solutions
that benefit research and increase efficiency and workflow in busy environments.
Irvine Scientific www.irvinesci.com
Unit 31, Newtown Business & Enterprise Park, Newtownmountkennedy, Co.
Wicklow, Ireland
Phone: +3 53 1 281 9920
Fax: +3 53 1 281 9928
ACE / ABA
Liquid Nitrogen Training Course &
9th ABA Annual General Meeting
21st & 22nd May 2014, Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Cosmos Biomedical Ltd
www.cosmosbiomedical.com
PO Box 6654
Swadlincote
Derbyshire
DE12 7XB
Email: [email protected]
Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1530 272 738
Mobile: +44 (0)7970 907 977
Vision Source Ltd
The Vineyard
Axbridge
Somerset
BS26 2AN
Tel: 01934 733680
Email: [email protected]
www.visionsource.co.uk