Design and Realization of an IoT-Based System for Real-Time Monitoring of Embryo Culture Conditions in IVF CO₂ Incubators

Abstract

The authors have designed and implemented an Internet of things (IoT)-based real-time embryo culture conditions monitoring and alerting system for CO₂ incubators used in the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) process. Industry grade sensors capable of sensing accurate concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and total volatile organic compound (VOC), temperature, and humidity have been placed inside the incubator chamber under culture environment. These sensor data are sent in periodically to the microcontroller unit outside the incubator through a flat flexible cable (FFC) for efficient data acquisition and further processing. Minicomputer unit and touch screen display are used to display the real-time culture conditions, i.e., CO₂, VOC, temperature, and humidity. The complete local desktop access of the proposed system can be obtained from any personal computer/smartphone by using a cross-platform screen sharing system. The minicomputer unit will be capable of storing the real-time culture data in appropriate format in cloud. The minicomputer unit will be registered to a specific cloud service so that its desktop can also be fully accessed from anywhere of the world through Internet. The SMS and e-mail alerts will be sent immediately to one or more pre-registered recipients via application programming interface (API) bulk SMS service and e-mail server, respectively, if one or more culture parameters cross the predefined allowable limit. Further test runs have been performed for prolonged time of period (eighteen (18) months) in order to determine the period after which the re-calibration of the sensors is required.