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Estonia has positioned itself at the forefront of fertility treatments through the advancements of Next Fertility Nordic. This private clinic, part of the Nextclinics group, integrates cutting-edge technology with holistic care, offering a transformative approach to infertility treatments that cater to the needs of modern families. We look closer at the technological innovations driving this progress with the clinic’s CEO, Karin Rosenstein, PhD.
Leveraging digital platforms for seamless care
Technological advancements reveal themselves before entering the clinic. Like most healthcare institutions in Estonia, Next Fertility Nordic will be connected with the National eBooking system in 2020. This option allows clients to book appointments online, often after hours, enhancing privacy and convenience. Unlike many European clinics, which rely on call centres and administrators, this digital-first approach streamlines patient interaction, reflecting Estonia’s tech-forward healthcare environment.
Ensuring precision, security and analytics with AI and the Internet of Things
Recently, the clinic introduced two cutting-edge technologies – AI and IoT- that increase the quality of its treatment. RI-Witness technology, first in the Baltics and Nordic countries, creates an electronic record for each patient, labelling biological materials with RFID technology. Plates on laboratory surfaces detect cells and materials via radio waves, ensuring precise identification at every process stage—from egg retrieval to laboratory procedures. This addresses patients’ fears of mix-ups and enhances safety and quality control, supporting clients and employees.
“Mixing up biological materials is one of the biggest fears of patients who get IVF,” says Dr Rosenstein. “In some countries, where laws address this issue, staff has to read out loud names every time they take the material or move it. This is tedious and still prone to errors.”
The second step was introducing an EmbryoScope, a camera-equipped incubator, in combination with the AI-powered software CHLOE. Using this combination, embryos are monitored noninvasively for five to six days in the incubator, and the results are automatically analysed.
“We were hesitant to take on the AI implementation right after RI-Witness. We thought we should let the latest technologies sink in. But everyone was very supportive and encouraged us to go forward,” says Dr. Rosenstein.
The Embryoscope’s built-in camera captures images every 10 minutes, eliminating the need for daily manual inspection. CHLOE assigns scores based on cell division patterns, determining the embryo’s suitability for transfer, freezing, or other outcomes. Patients can even monitor progress remotely, which has proven to be an emotionally supportive feature. This technology simplifies the process and ensures higher accuracy in embryo diagnostics.
Building a collaborative future with data
One of the clinic’s most significant contributions is its participation in creating a national infertility treatment register. This initiative aggregates data from six clinics across Estonia in collaboration with the Estonian Infertility and Embryology Society. The register allows for in-depth analysis of procedures and outcomes, identifying effective treatments that could potentially guide funding more efficiently. Moreover, Next Fertility Nordic is Estonia’s sole participant in the EU’s EuMAR pilot project to create a similar pan-European registry. Hence, Next Fertility Nordic is laying the groundwork for international data-sharing standards.
The technological road ahead
With the young and open-minded staff of the Next Fertility Nordic welcoming the current innovations, Dr Rosensteins plans to continue introducing new technologies. The next step would be implementing customer relationship management (CRM) tools, probably from the Estonian-founded Pipedrive, to further streamline patient care.
“Integrating IT systems with medical workflows remains a challenge, as medical staff often lack time to articulate their needs to developers,” says Dr Rosenstein. “However, Estonia’s thriving IT startup ecosystem offers a promising path forward.”
With these innovations, Next Fertility Nordic addresses Estonia’s demographic challenges and sets a benchmark for fertility treatments worldwide. By combining technological precision with empathetic care, the clinic underscores its mission to help create families in the most advanced and supportive ways possible.
