Recovery and processing of human embryos formed in vivo

摘要

Among other things, uterine lavage is performed to withdraw at least 50% of in vivo fertilized preimplantation embryos produced after superovulation of a woman and artificial insemination using sperm of her sexual partner. After genetic diagnosis or sex determination or gene therapy, or any combination of any two or more of them, of the recovered embryos and selection of at least one of the embryos to be implanted, the selected embryos are returned to the woman for implantation in her uterus.

主权项

1. A process for recovering one or more blastocysts from a uterus of a human, comprising:
causing superovulation in the human in a way to form multiple corpora lutea that undergo apoptosis and cannot support development of a viable implanted pregnancy; causing fertilization in vivo of multiple oocytes produced by the superovulation; permitting the fertilized oocytes to mature to form multiple mature preimplantation embryos that present to the uterus as blastocysts; placing a device trans-vaginally into a cervical canal of the human; automatically delivering fluid through the device to the uterus and automatically applying a vacuum to the uterus to aspirate fluid and entrained one or more blastocysts from the uterus without introducing air into the uterus; and causing desynchronization of the endometrium to reduce the chance that any embryos remaining in the uterus will form a viable pregnancy, wherein desynchronization comprises administering GnRH antagonist on the day on which the one or more blastocysts are recovered to induce further corpus luteum apoptosis, suppress luteal phase progesterone, and further decrease risk of a retained pregnancy.