Micromanipulation and biopsy of polar bodies, blastomeres, and blastocysts

In addition to standard in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques,1 four major micromanipulation procedures are involved in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD): intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI),2,3 polar body removal,4,5 day-3 embryo biopsy,6 and day-5-7 blastocyst/ trophectoderm biopsy7 (TEB). The micromanipulation setup and tool construction needed for performing each of these procedures are presented below, with the equipment, materials, and reagents listed in Tables 2.1 and 2.2.