Research Laboratories

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Laboratory
Many elements of the Fertility Center of the Carolinas program makes us stand out from the competition: our physician expertise, clinical outcomes, and high-quality patient care. However, one of the most significant ways we differ from other infertility practices in the Southeast is our Assisted Reproductive Technology Laboratory. Here, miracles happen every day as embryologists use special techniques for assisting reproduction in a laboratory environment that simulates the fertilization process that occurs inside the human body.

Embryologists utilize state-of-the-art growth culture conditions and incubation technology inside the world's first ART clean room. This "clean room" concept eliminates air toxins and pollutants that can jeopardize the growth and development of human embryos, including compounds found in common building materials such as paint, cleaning products, and dust.

The lab is designated a Class 100 clean air system, meaning that no more than 100 particles of 0.5 microns or larger are in a cubic foot of air. (By contrast, the average household has one million particles per cubic feet!) Staff dress in special clothing to reduce chemical and biohazard contamination.

At Fertility Center of the Carolinas we believe that combining the latest medical knowledge and the newest ART technologies with a gentle, caring staff can lead to the best possible outcomes. With more than 1000 babies born with the aid of ART, our program is a leader in the Southeast.

Andrology Laboratory
Highly trained personnel in this laboratory perform semen analysis, sperm preparations for intrauterine insemination (IUI), cryopreservation of spermatozoa, and preparation of sperm for ART procedures. Sperm samples used for fertilization procedures are prepared using chemically balanced density gradients that give patients the optimal sperm characteristics for insemination.

Certified by the College of American Pathologists, the Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center andrology laboratory contains leading-edge equipment, including a Sperm Class Analyzer (SCA). The SCA assesses motion parameters of sperm.

Laboratory Research
Lab personnel also participate in research projects dealing with laboratory quality control, sperm function, and methods for maximizing IUI and ART pregnancy rates.