GB2399290A

GB2399290A - Oocyte recovery apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2399290A
Application number: GB0320355A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Edward Nash
Original assignee: Smiths Group PLC
Current assignee: Smiths Group PLC
Priority date: 2002-09-19
Filing date: 2003-09-01
Publication date: 2004-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 2023-09-01
Also published as: GB0221744D0; GB2399290B; GB0320355D0

Abstract

Apparatus for oocyte recovery includes a hand held unit 2 for selectively connecting a recovery needle (1 fig 1) to sources of flushing liquid or suction, an oocyte receptacle 35 and means to manually select between flushing and supply of oocytes. Receptacle 35 may be evacuated to supply a source of suction for aspiration of oocytes and sealed with a cap 38 to be pierced by a spike connector 33. Alternatively a vacuum pump (50' fig 4) may draw the oocytes into the receptacle. Flushing liquid may be supplied from a remote container (3 fig 1) via supply line 4 or from a container (3' fig 4) within the unit, the container may be pressurised. The means to select between flushing and supply of oocytes may be switches (26 and 32 fig 2) controlling valves 25 and 31. The needle may be a dual lumen needle.

Description

OOCYTE RECOVERY APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

This invention relates to oocyte recovery apparatus and systems.

Oocytes are usually collected using a needle inserted into a follicle. Suction is applied to the needle to extract the oocytes and follicular liquid. A liquid may be supplied to the needle for flushing purposes, to assist extraction of the oocytes. Usually, the needle has two lumens, one for suctioning and the other for supply of flushing fluid. Such duallumen needles have two flexible tubes extending from the needle hub, one tube being connected to a syringe containing the flushing liquid. The other tube is connected to a test tube for receiving the oocytes, suction being applied to the test tube from a vacuum pump via tubing.

Previous apparatus requires peripheral equipment and associated tubing making it cumbersome and difficult to use. Also, there is a risk of spillage or contamination of the oocytes during handling.

It is an object of the present invention to provide alternative oocyte recovery apparatus and systems.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided oocyte recovery apparatus including a self-contained unit having connection means for making connection of suction and flushing liquid with an oocyte recovery needle, the unit including a receptacle for collecting the oocytes, means for supplying oocytes via the connection means to the receptacle, a supply of flushing liquid and manually operable means for selecting between supply of oocytes from the needle to the receptacle and supply of flushing liquid to the needle.

The receptacle is preferably a container, the container being closed by a cap of piercable material and the unit including a spike connector adapted to pierce the cap such that the cap closes when the container is removed from the unit. The receptacle may be an evacuated container, the container providing suction to draw oocytes from the needle to the container. Alternatively, the apparatus may include a pump within the unit operable to draw oocytes from the needle into the receptacle. The supply of flushing liquid may include an inlet on the unit connected with a remote container for the flushing liquid. Alternatively, the supply of flushing liquid may include a container of liquid in the unit. The container of flushing liquid may be pressurized and preferably includes an elastic bag that is stretched so that it urges the flushing liquid to an outlet. The unit preferably includes a housing shaped to fit the hand, the manually operable means being a switch on the housing.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an oocyte recovery system including an oocyte recovery needle and apparatus according to the above one aspect of the present invention.

An oocyte recovery system and apparatus according to the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the system in use; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus; Figure 3 is a partly sectional plan view of the apparatus; and Figure 4 is a partly sectional elevation view of alternative apparatus.

With reference first to Figures l to 3, the oocyte recovery system includes a dual- lumen oocyte recovery needle 1 and recovery apparatus comprising a self- contained, hand- held unit 2, a bag 3 of flushing liquid and a supply line 4 connecting the bag with the unit.

The needle 1 is of a conventional kind having a metal shaft 10 connected with a hub 11 at its rear end. Two flexible tubes 12 and 13 extend from the hub 11 and are terminated by connectors 14 and 15. The tubes 12 and 13 connect with respective lumens extending along the shaft 10 and are used to supply flushing liquid to one lumen and to supply suction to the other lumen for extracting oocytes.

The unit 2 has a moulded housing 20 of generally rectangular section with a tapered forward end 21 and shaped to fit comfortably within the hand. The housing 20 has two connectors 22 and 23 at its forward end connected respectively with the connectors 14 and 15 on the flushing and suction tubes 12 and 13. The flushing connector 22 connects within the housing 20 with tubing 24 extending to the rear end of the housing. The tubing 24 passes through a flow control valve 25, which may be of any conventional kind, controlled by a manually-operable "Flush" button 26 on the upper side of the housing 20. The valve 25 is normally closed and is opened by pushing down on the "Flush" button 26. It may have only two states: on or off, or it may be variable to control the rate of flow of flushing fluid. At the rear end of the housing 20 the tubing 24 connects with one end of the flushing liquid supply line 4. The other end of the flushing fluid supply line 4 connects with the bag 3 or similar container of flushing fluid suspended above the level of the needle 1, so that gravity exerts a pressure tending to supply fluid along the line to the unit 2.

The other, suction connector 23 at the forward end 21 of the housing 20 connects with one end of tubing 30 extending within the housing. The tubing 30 extends via a second flow control valve 31 operated by a "Suction" button 32 on the upper surface of the housing 20 adjacent the "Flush" button 26. The valve 31 controls flow along the tubing 30 and is normally closed, preventing flow but can be opened by pressing down the "Suction" button 32. The other end of the tubing 30 connects with a hollow spike connector 33 projecting outwardly from a side wall of the housing 20 towards its rear end. The spike connector 33 projects within a mounting ring 34, which locates and retains a receptacle, in the form of an evacuated container 35, on the unit 2, projecting horizontally laterally. The container 35 is shaped like a test tube with a rounded, closed end 36 and an open end 37 closed by a cap 38 of a piercable, elastomeric material. When the container 35 is locked onto the ring 34, the length of the spike connector 33 is such that it pierces the cap 38 and its tip opens into the interior of the container. When mounted in this way, the reduced pressure within the container 35 is communicated to the spike connector 33 and associated tubing 30 but, while the suction valve 31 remains closed, this reduced, suction pressure is not applied to the needle 1. s

In use, as shown in Figure 1, the oocyte recovery needle 1 is inserted so that its tip is located in a follicle of the patient. The clinician then presses the "Flush" button 26 so that flushing liquid flows by gravity through the unit 2 to the flushing lumen of the needle 1. The clinician then presses the Suction button 32 so that the reduced pressure within the container is communicated to the suction lumen of the needle 1. This causes oocytes and follicular liquid to be sucked back along the needle 1, through the tubing 30 and into the container 35 via the spike connector 33. When all the oocytes have been removed, the container 35 is disconnected from the unit 2 allowing the cap 38 to reseal. Additional containers 35 can be connected to the unit 2 if additional volume is needed for the collected material, or if suction is lost before collection has been completed. The cap 38 is removed from the container 35 when it is necessary to extract the oocytes.

The apparatus of the present invention can be compact and easy to use, avoiding the need for a separate vacuum pump. Furthermore, because the oocytes are collected in a sealed container there is less risk of spillage and contamination.

The apparatus could be modified in various ways. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the unit 2' could include a small vacuum pump 50' within it connected to reduce pressure with a collection container 35'. The container 35' has a piercable cap 38' and connection through it is made by respective spike connectors 33' and 37' one of which connects with the suction connector 23' and the other of which connects with the pump 50'. When the Suction button 32' is pressed, the pump 50' is turned on and air is pumped out of the container 35' creating a reduced pressure within it, which draws in material from the suction connector 23'. In this arrangement, the container 35' is oriented downwardly to avoid any risk of material within the container being aspirated by the pump 50'. The unit 2' also includes its own container 3' of flushing liquid. This is pressurized and, for example, may be an elastic bag that urges its contents out of its outlet to the flushing tubing 24' via the flush valve 25'.

Where a single lumen oocyte recovery needle is used, the connectors 22 and 23 on the unit 2 can be linked to the single lumen by means of a Y connector so that irrigation and suction can be applied to the lumen selectively as desired. l

Claims

1. Oocyte recovery apparatus including a self-contained unit having connection means for making connection of suction and flushing liquid with an oocyte recovery needle, wherein the unit includes a receptacle for collecting the oocytes, means for supplying oocytes via the connection means to the receptacle, a supply of flushing liquid and manually operable means for selecting between supply of oocytes from the needle to the receptacle and supply of flushing liquid to the needle.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the receptacle is a container, wherein the container is closed by a cap of a piercable material and wherein the unit includes a spike connector adapted to pierce the cap such that the cap closes when the container is removed from the unit.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the receptacle is an evacuated container and wherein the container provides suction to draw oocytes from the needle to the container.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2 including a pump within the unit operable to draw oocytes from the needle into the receptacle.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply of flushing liquid includes an inlet on the unit connected with a remote container for the flushing liquid. r

6. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the supply of flushing liquid includes a container of liquid in the unit.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the container of flushing liquid is pressurized.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the container includes an elastic bag that is stretched so that it urges the flushing liquid to an outlet.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the unit includes a housing shaped to fit the hand and wherein the manually operable means is a switch on the housing.

10. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

11. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 as modified by Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

12. An oocyte recovery system including an oocyte recovery needle and apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. An oocyte recovery system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

14. An oocyte recovery system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 as modified by Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15. Any novel and inventive feature or combination of features as hereinbefore described.