Method and apparatus for in vitro fertilization
AssigneeMount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York
InventorJon W. Gordon
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for concentrating motile erm from a sperm sample, including concentrating sperm in the vicinity of one or more oocytes for in vitro fertilization. The method comprises placing a volume of fertilization medium in a container, said container having at least one microchamber and being shaped such that the fertilization medium, when placed in the container, fills the microchamber and a portion of the container outside of the microchamber, such that when a sperm sample is placed in the medium outside the chamber motile sperm swim into the microchamber, where they may be harvested or, if an oocyte is in the microchamber, in vitro fertilization occurs.
Claims42
A method for concentrating motile sperm in a microchamber comprising the steps of
- (a) placing a volume of fertilization medium in a container, said container having at least one microchamber and being shaped such that the fertilization medium, when placed in the container, fills said at least one microchamber and a portion of the container outside of said at least one microchamber, and further such that the medium extends from said portion to said at least one microchamber, said at least one microchamber being formed and positioned in relation to the remainder of said container such that sperm of normal motility, when placed in said portion outside and remote from the microchamber, will tend to swim into the microchamber, said at least one microchamber further being shaped such that motile sperm which swim from said portion into said microchamber tend to remain in said microchamber,
- (b) placing a sperm sample containing motile sperm in said portion outside of said microchamber;
- and
- (c) allowing motile sperm in said sample to swim from said portion to said microchamber, thereby concentrating said motile sperm in said microchamber.
A container for concentrating motile sperm in a microchamber, said container comprising at least one microchamber and shaped such that fertilization medium, when placed in the container, fills said at least one microchamber and a portion of the container outside of said at least one microchamber, and further such that the medium extends from said portion to said at least one microchamber thereby permitting motile sperm, when placed in said portion outside the microchamber, to swim into the microchamber, said at least one microchamber being shaped such that motile sperm which swim from said portion into said microchamber tend to remain in said microchamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.