Arrangement for transferring an ovum from a follicle

An arrangement for transferring an ovum from a follicle with a combined technique of simultaneous flushing and aspiration, the arrangement comprising:

• a double lumen needle, comprising an elongate needle body having at the distal needle end to be inserted into the follicle an ovum pick-up lumen for removing an ovum from a follicle and a flushing lumen for inserting a flushing fluid into the follicle, the needle body comprising an outer tube with an internally located inner tube that extends over at least part of the length of the outer tube, the one lumen being bounded by the inside wall of the inner tube and the other lumen by the space between the outside wall of the inner tube and the inside wall of the outer tube, and
• a connector having a connector body which at a first end is connected to the needle and remote from the distal needle and, having an outlet at a second end for discharging the ovum to the exterior, having a channel means that connects the outlet at a second end for discharging the ovum to the exterior, having a channel means that connects the outlet to the ovum pick-up lumen and defines a first fluid pathway for aspirating an ovum and having a flushing inlet in between the two ends of the connector body for supplying the flushing medium and in fluid communication with the flushing lumen for defining a second fluid pathway for flushing a follicle,
• while the two fluid pathways within the connector and the needle body are separated from each other,
• wherein the inner tube in cross section has dimensions that are smaller than the inside diameter of the outer tube,
• wherein the inner tube is made of a flexible material,
• wherein the flushing lumen is bounded by the inside wall of the inner tube, and
• wherein the ovum lumen is bounded by the space between the outside wall of the inner tube and the inside wall of the outer tube.