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Ovobank, the first egg bank in Europe, launches Ovomatch®, an innovative facial recognition system based on a mathematical algorithm and connected to its extensive database which searches among donors for the one that most resembles the recipient patient, at the same time that the complete anonymity that the law sets for egg donors is preserved at all times. The patient only has to input her physical characteristics and take a ‘selfie’ and the app will tell her at that precise moment how many donors with a high similarity to her are in the system. For the first time, facial recognition technology is applied to treatments with egg donation.
When a couple (or a woman with no male partner) requires an assisted reproduction treatment with egg donation, the most worrying question is whether their future baby will be physically similar to them. With the Ovomatch® system, Ovobank’s new APP , for free download on any mobile device, a patient can know, at that precise moment, the number of available donors with high similarity among the more than 4,000 existing in the Ovobank database, without, at any time breaking the anonymity that is marked by the law in these procedures.
Facial recognition technology, at the service of assisted reproduction techniques with Ovobank’s oocytes
The ‘matching’ work done by the Ovobank team, which takes into account phenotypic traits of the couple or the woman such as blood group, etc., is now joined with the technology of facial recognition. Ovomatch® scans multiple facial points of donors and recipients and compares them, thanks to a mathematical facial recognition algorithm, with its extensive database to find donors more like recipients. Anonymity is fully guaranteed and the selected donor, in addition to a total phenotypic compatibility, will have a high facial resemblance to the recipient patient, selecting the donor based on an objective process.
How does Ovomatch® work?
Using Ovomatch® is very simple. Once the APP is downloaded, the program itself guides the patient through the process. As a first step, personal data is entered, followed by the phenotypic data of the patient and her partner or only of the patient in the case of women with no male partner (blood group, height, hair colour, etc.). Once this data is completed, the system offers a number of phenotypically compatible donors from the Ovobank database. Next, it’s time to perform the facial matching. Through a selfie, Ovomatch® scans the patient’s face and its mathematical facial recognition algorithm takes care of the rest, comparing their face with those of phenotypically compatible donors to refine the search to the maximum and select only those with the greatest physical resemblance, among a very small number of donors.
Egg donation in Spain, completely anonymous
Egg Donation is regulated by the Spanish Law of Assisted Reproduction 14/2006, as well as Royal Decree-law 09/2017 regarding cell and tissues banks in quality system, where it is defined as an anonymous, voluntary and altruistic act. With Ovomatch®, the anonymity in egg donations remains absolute, as neither patient will ever know any information from the donor regarding their identity nor will the donor know in any case the fate of the donated oocytes.
The profile of the egg donor is a girl of about 25 years old with secondary or higher education (in many cases already sensitized to the issue) and good health both physically and psychologically; The numerous and exhaustive diagnostic tests (medical, genetic, psychological …) that take place before being declared apt to donate are in charge of endorsing this. Ovobank is the first donor cryopreserved donor bank in Europe, created to meet the growing need for donor oocytes, helping to optimize fertility treatments and making it easier for patients and future families. Ovobank has the most advanced facilities, as well as state-of-the-art equipment to be able to provide a maximum quality service within the FIV Marbella and Ovoclinic assisted reproduction centers. The oocyte vitrification process of Ovobank is performed by qualified and trained personnel in the field of cryobiology, and the means and products used comply with European regulations. All this results in the oocytes being processed in the best possible conditions, conserving all their potential in order to offer a quality service and with the maximum guarantee of success. Ovobank is distinguished with the ISO 9001: 2008 quality certificate and the Artemide quality system.
