Provides practical guidance for the optimal organization and management of an IVF laboratory for successful embryo culture.

This manual is a comprehensive guide to Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and Clinical Embryology. Beginning with an introduction to ART, the book discusses embryology and provides a step by step description of different types of ART. With contributions from international experts, this book includes a DVD illustrating different laboratory and cryobiology protocols. A section on the challenges of ART and possible problems that may be encountered is also included.

Cryopreservation methods have become well established as an increasingly important therapeutic strategy in assisted reproduction. Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction: A User's Manual and Trouble-shooting Guide addresses this cryopreservation technique from an academic and technical viewpoint, with specific reference to assisted reproduction in humans. Hence, two decades after the first publication on vitrification as an ice crystal-free cryopreservation method for embryos, this book fulfills the need for a book that considers this new and under-utilized cryopreservation technique in detail, outlining those techniques that result in success, and providing recommended means of overcoming the problems typically encountered. The book covers a historical overview of the principles and development of vitrification techniques in animal and humans, the various consumables utilized for the vitrification of cells and tissue and suppliers thereof; the vitrification and warming technique for oocytes, sperm, pronuclear stage embryos, cleavage stage embryos, blastocysts, ovarian tissue and embryonic stem cells. Wherever applicable, the setting up including protocol, operation, maintenance and trouble-shooting of the different protocols used for vitrifying various stages of cells and tissues is also covered. Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction is an invaluable textbook for clinical and reproductive medicine practitioners and ART specialists.

The use of human in vitro fertilization in the management of infertility is the outgrowth of years of laboratory observations on in vitro sperm-egg interaction. "The editors of this work have themselves contributed significantly to basic knowledge of the mammalian fertilization process. The observations of Don Wolf on sperm penetration, the block to polyspermy and, most recently, sperm hyperactivation in the monkey and human, Gregory Kopf's elucidation of the mechanisms of sperm activation during penetration and the reciprocal dialogue between sperm and egg, and Barry Bavister's definition of culture conditions and requirements necessary for in vitro oocyte maturation, fertilization and development in model mammalian systems including nonhuman primates have contributed greatly to our understanding of the mammalian fertilization process. Wolf, Kopf and Gerrity have enjoyed substantial interaction with clinicians in Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and have been directly involved with successful IVF programs. Both Wolf and Kopf have served as research scientists in the Division of Reproductive Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, which, for more than 22 years, has fostered co-mingling of clinically oriented and basic science faculty. It is through such interaction, which clearly exists at many institutions including the University of Wisconsin, that the process of technology transfer is best served. Without an exquisitely coordinated laboratory, there can be no consistent success in human in vitro fertilization. Quality control is pivotal, but close collaboration between the laboratory and the clinic is also essential as information is shared and correlated.

Featuring more than 300 full-color photographs, this atlas is a comprehensive guide to the complex procedures used in assisted reproduction. It shows readers how to utilize the latest technologies and correlates the laboratory and clinical components of assisted reproduction. The book depicts oocytes, embryos, and blastocysts at various stages of division and offers guidelines for assessing oocytes and embryos. The authors give detailed instructions on ovarian stimulation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, assisted hatching, cryopreservation, extended in vitro culturing, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and embryo transfer techniques. Close attention is also given to assessment of oocytes and embryos from patients with endometriosis and other pathologies.

Selecting the best embryo to transfer to the uterus is key to successful in vitro fertilization (IVF). A huge amount of research has been devoted to this topic and there are numerous methods used, from simple morphological assessment to molecular biological techniques to assess the genome and metabolism of the newly fertilized embryo. For many of these techniques, an adequate evidence base is lacking, and expert opinion is valuable. Clinical imperatives require ranking all embryos in a cohort according to their viability, thereby enabling the selection of the best embryo to optimize live birth outcome: a key indicator used to measure and rate IVF Clinics worldwide. This clear and informative manual will provide embryologists and clinicians with an overview of the tools now available to assist in embryo selection, as well as evidence for their efficacy and safety and the broader considerations that must underlie these important clinical decisions.

The Practical Manual of In Vitro Fertilization: Advanced Methods and Novel Devices is a unique, accessible title that provides a complete review of the most well-established and current diagnostic and treatment techniques comprising in vitro fertilization. Throughout the chapters, a uniform structure is employed, including a brief abstract, a keyword glossary, a step-by-step protocol of the laboratory procedures, several pages of expert commentary, key issues of clinical concern, and a list of references. The result is a readily accessible, high quality reference guide for reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, embryologists, biologists and research scientists. The Manual also offers an excellent description of novel procedures that will likely be employed in the near future. An indispensable resource for physicians and basic scientists, the Practical Manual of In Vitro Fertilization: Advanced Methods and Novel Devices is an invaluable reference and addition to the literature.