Millions of parents worldwide have benefitted from invitro fertilisation (IVF) technology, which has enabled them to conceive happy, healthy babies.

Safety is a major concern with such a significant procedure, and while cold storage may be thought of as a more routine element, Melbourne-based Bluechiip (ASX: BCT) is developing a technology that can make storage a whole lot safer.

“The reality is that while IVF and associated technologies have well and truly vaulted into the 21st century, the tracking of samples, such as tissue, blood, serum and plasma, remains firmly entrenched in the 20th century,” Andrew McLellan, Bluechiip managing director, said.

Bluechiip’s chip-and-reader technology uses what it calls a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) chip – a purely mechanical device with no powered electronics.

The miniature chip can be built into vials and bags and the information on the chip is read by a handheld or multipoint reader.

Incredibly, the MEMS chips can withstand extreme heat and cold – in temperatures from -196°C to +200°C – and are resistant to autoclaving, humidification, centrifuging, cryogenic storage and frosting to gamma sterilisation.

Furthermore, unlike traditional tracking technologies like labels or barcodes, Bluechiip’s technology does not require line-of-sight for temperature readings and tracking.

Bluechiip’s MEMS chip and system can transmit temperature and temperature history data.

“While the capability of our technology is amazing, equally important is the ease with which it can be retro-fitted,” Mr McLellan said.

“The market for our tracking technology is immense. The bio-preservation and cryopreservation markets alone are a $2 billion-a-year industry, processing more than 300 million samples per year.

Industries using this technology include pharmaceuticals, IVF, research and clinical trials.”

Today, the Bluechiip tag technology is also being applied and trialled in a range of different industries, such as cold-chain logistics, food, manufacturing, security and defence areas.

Bluechiip now boasts 24 granted patents and six pending patents, key manufacturing partners in Europe, UK and Malaysia and has secured Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) partners globally.

“It’s been a long road for Bluechiip from research through to development and sales, but I think the company is on the cusp of some exciting times. I can see organisations buying our consumables for over 15 years once they adopt our technology,” McLellan said.