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Fig 3. Mature oocyte cumulus complex, as seen under a stereozoom microscope in the IVF lab, during egg retrieval. The egg is in the center, surrounded by the cumulus cells.
On the day the eggs are harvested, the husband provides a semen sample. The sperm are separated from the seminal plasma in a process known as washing the sperm. The washed sperm are used to inseminate the eggs. Some men may have considerable difficulty producing a semen sample at the appropriate time, because of the tremendous stress they are under, and the " pressure to perform". For these men, using a previously stored frozen sample can be helpful. Viagra (sildenafil citrate) can also be used to help them to get an erection, as can using a vibrator.
A defined number of sperm (usually 100,000 sperm/ ml) is placed with each egg in a separate dish containing IVF culture medium. The dishes are placed in a CO2 incubator with a controlled temperature that is the same as the woman's body - 37 C. The conditions in the incubator and the ingredients in the culture medium are designed to mimic the conditions in the fallopian tube, so that the embryos can grow happily in vitro. The culture medium, which has to be very pure, contains various ingredients such as protein, salts, buffer and antibiotics that allow optimal growth of the embryo - think of it as "chicken soup for the less embryo"!
© Dr. Aniruddha Malpani and Dr. Anjali Malpani www.drmalpani.com
Credits: How to Have a Baby: Overcoming Infertility
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