Menlo Park, Calif.-based reproductive health technology company Auxogyn Inc. has appointed Kathryn A. Tunstall to its board of directors. Tunstall is currently chairman of the board of directors at Conceptus Inc., a developer of device-based solutions in permanent birth control.

“Kathryn is a valuable addition to our board with her extensive experience in the field of women’s reproductive health and leadership in growing early stage companies to successful enterprises. Kathryn was the first CEO of Conceptus and under her leadership, the company rapidly grew to be a worldwide leader in bringing innovative solutions to the field of women’s reproductive health,” said Lissa Goldenstein, president and CEO of Auxogyn. “Her experience will be instrumental in this next stage for Auxogyn, as we continue to expand the commercialization of our flagship product, the Eeva Test.”

Tunstall has served as chairman of the board of directors of Conceptus Inc. since January 2000 and as a member of the company’s board of directors since her appointment as CEO in July 1993. Prior to joining Conceptus, she was employed by Edwards Less Invasive Surgery Division of Baxter International, where she held a number of positions including president. Earlier in her career, she held various positions in finance, operations and marketing at American Hospital Supply Corporation. Tunstall also served as a director and compensation committee chair of Caliper LifeSciences, a publicly traded biotechnology company, until its acquisition by Perkin Elmer Inc. in November 2011. She holds a B.A. in economics from the University of California and has completed graduate-level studies in business and healthcare administration.

“With one in six couples experiencing infertility, there is a tremendous need for technology to improve outcomes in order to help couples achieve their dream of having a healthy child,” said Tunstall. “The Eeva Test brings a technological breakthrough to in vitro fertilization (IVF), offering objective information to clinical teams to predict which embryos are the most viable and ultimately, to help patients increase their odds for success.”

Auxogyn’s Early Embryo Viability Assessment (Eeva) Test is designed to improve IVF outcomes by providing clinicians and patients with information that will enable them to select the best embryos for transfer. Eeva reportedly provides quantitative and objective information on the early stages of the embryo’s development and predicts the viability of each embryo. Eeva’s software automatically analyzes embryo development against scientifically and clinically validated cell-division parameters. With Eeva, IVF clinics may be able to optimize the treatment path for their patients undergoing IVF procedures. The Eeva Test has the CE mark and is available in clinics throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the United States, the Eeva Test is pending 510(k) clearance and is limited to investigational use only.

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