Container for embryo transplantation

Abstract

This container for embryo transplantation is used to transplant an embryo which was fertilized in vitro. This container for embryo transplantation comprises an accommodation part (10) which accommodates an embryo. The accommodation part (10) includes a side wall (12) and a bottom part (13) which is contiguous with the side wall (12) and on which an embryo (40) is disposed. The side wall (12) includes a guide part (14) which defines a direction for approaching the embryo (40) disposed on the bottom part (13) for an instrument for manipulating the embryo (40).

Description

Container for embryo transfer

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for embryo transfer.

[0002] Conventionally, embryo transfer as one step of reproductive medicine has been known (Patent Document 1). In embryo transfer, an embryo (fertilized egg) is manipulated using an instrument such as a catheter. Patent Document 1 discloses a catheter that can perform embryo transfer simply and accurately.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-109491

[0004] Although Patent Document 1 discloses a catheter as an instrument for manipulating an embryo, it does not particularly mention a container for embryo transfer that houses the embryo.

[0005] There is room for improvement in the container for embryo transfer from the viewpoint of accurately and stably performing operations on the embryo.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a container for embryo transfer that can accurately and stably perform operations on an embryo (such as suction by a catheter).

[0007] The container for embryo transfer according to the present disclosure is used for transplanting an embryo fertilized in vitro. The container for embryo transfer includes a housing portion that houses the embryo. The housing portion includes a side wall and a bottom portion that is continuous with the side wall and on which the embryo is placed. The side wall includes a guide portion that defines the approaching direction of an instrument for performing an operation on the embryo with respect to the embryo placed on the bottom portion.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a container for embryo transfer that can accurately and stably perform operations on an embryo (such as suction by a catheter) can be provided.

[0009] This is a schematic diagram of an embryo transfer container according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram of the containment section in the embryo transfer container shown in Figure 1. This is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the containment section of region III enclosed by the dotted line in Figure 2. This is a schematic diagram showing how a catheter is inserted into the guide section of the embryo transfer container of Embodiment 1. This is a schematic diagram of the containment section in the embryo transfer container according to Embodiment 2. This is a schematic diagram of an embryo transfer container and a lid used for the embryo transfer container according to the first example of Embodiment 3. This is a schematic diagram of the embryo transfer container of Figure 6 with the lid placed over it, viewed from above. This is a schematic diagram of an embryo transfer container and a lid used for the embryo transfer container according to the second example of Embodiment 3. This is a partial schematic diagram showing the embryo transfer container of Figure 8 with the lid placed over it.

[0010] The embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) <Configuration of Embryo Transfer Container> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a plan view of the embryo transfer container according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the containment section in the embryo transfer container shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of the containment section of region III enclosed by the dotted line in Figure 2. The embryo transfer container 100 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is used for transferring embryos fertilized in vitro. The embryo transfer container 100 mainly comprises a containment section 10 and a liquid storage section 20.

[0011] Figure 1 shows the planar shape of the embryo transfer container 100. In other words, Figure 1 shows the appearance of the embryo transfer container 100 when it is placed on a horizontal surface, as viewed from above in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal surface. The embryo transfer container 100 in Figure 1 has a rectangular outermost shape in plan view. However, the outermost shape of the embryo transfer container 100 is not limited to this. The outermost part of the embryo transfer container 100 may have a planar shape of a circle, an ellipse, or a polygon. Here, a polygon means, for example, a hexagon or an octagon.

[0012] The containment section 10 is a component for containing embryos fertilized in vitro. As shown in Figure 1, the containment section 10 is located in the center of the embryo transfer container 100 in a plan view. However, the position of the containment section 10 is not limited to this. The containment section 10 may be located in a region offset from the center of the embryo transfer container 100. For example, the containment section 10 may be located in a region adjacent to any of the four corners of the rectangle in Figure 1.

[0013] In particular, as shown in Figure 2, the containment section 10 includes a side wall 12 extending downward from the upper end 11 and a bottom 13. The upper end 11 forms an opening that is the boundary between the inside and outside of the containment section 10. The planar shape of the upper end 11 is elliptical. The upper end 11 allows the culture medium 30 or embryo 40 to be placed into or removed from the containment section 10. In other words, the upper end 11 has a size in plan view that allows the culture medium 30 or embryo 40 to be placed in or removed in a normal manner. Specifically, the elliptical shape of the upper end 11 in plan view preferably has a major axis length of 1.5 cm or more and 3.0 cm or less, and a minor axis length of 1.5 cm or more and 3.0 cm or less. Because the planar shape of the upper end 11 is elliptical, the planar shape of the containment section 10 is elliptical. The culture medium 30 is used to maintain the condition of the embryo 40 in good condition during the embryo transplantation process by immersing the embryo 40 in it.

[0014] The side wall 12 extends in a planar manner from the upper end 11 to the bottom 13. The side wall 12 is connected to the upper end 11 and the bottom 13. The bottom 13 is the lowest part of the housing 10 when placed on a horizontal plane, as shown in Figure 2. In other words, when placed on a horizontal plane, the bottom 13 is the part closest to the horizontal plane. The bottom 13 may be in contact with the horizontal plane. The embryo 40 is placed on the bottom 13. The bottom 13 is smaller in size in plan view compared to the upper end 11. The planar shape of the bottom 13 is, for example, elliptical. However, the planar shape of the bottom 13 may also be circular. For this reason, the side wall 12 connected to the upper end 11 and the bottom 13 is inclined so that the width of the housing 10 in the direction along the horizontal plane gradually narrows from the upper end 11 to the bottom 13.

[0015] In particular, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the side wall 12 includes a guide portion 14. The guide portion 14 in this embodiment extends to connect the upper end 11 and the bottom portion 13. The guide portion 14 is a groove formed in the side wall 12. The guide portion 14 has a configuration in which a part of the inner wall surface of the side wall 12 is recessed in a direction perpendicular to the inner wall surface. In other words, the guide portion 14 has a shape in which the inner wall surface of the side wall 12 is recessed toward the outer wall surface of the side wall 12. As shown in Figure 3, in a cross-section cut intersecting the direction in which the guide portion 14 extends, the cross-sectional shape of the guide portion 14 is arc-shaped. The central angle of the part of the arc with respect to the center of the circle is arbitrary. For example, the central angle may be 120°, 150°, or 210°. For example, if the central angle is 180°, the cross-sectional shape of the guide portion 14 shown in Figure 3 is semicircular.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the cross-sectional shape of the guide portion 14 in the cross-sections intersecting the extending direction is not limited to an arc shape. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the guide portion 14 may be a part of an ellipse. Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of the guide portion 14 may be V-shaped, rectangular, or polygonal. Here, a polygonal shape means, for example, a part of a hexagon or octagon.

[0017] In the guide section 14, the inner wall surface of the side wall 12 is recessed toward the outer wall surface. Therefore, when the housing section 10 is viewed from the outside, the guide section 14 may protrude outward compared to the rest of the side wall 12. The portion of the side wall 12 other than the guide section 14 is composed of the side surface of an inverted oblique ellipse frustum, with the elliptical opening at the upper end 11 as the base. As shown in Figure 2, the center of the base 13 is offset from the center of the upper end 11. Therefore, the side wall 12 includes multiple regions with different inclination angles relative to the horizontal plane.

[0018] Multiple guide sections 14 may be formed on the side wall 12. Specifically, the side wall 12 in Figure 2 includes a first guide section 14a and a second guide section 14b as guide sections 14. In other words, the housing section 10 in Figure 2 has two guide sections 14. In Figure 2, the inclination angle α of the first guide section 14a with respect to the horizontal plane is different from the inclination angle β of the second guide section 14b with respect to the horizontal plane. As shown in Figure 2, the inclination angle β may be greater than the inclination angle α. For example, the inclination angle α may be 30° and the inclination angle β may be 45°. Conversely, the inclination angle α may be greater than the inclination angle β. Also, the respective inclination angles α and β can be any angle other than 30° and 45°.

[0019] In order to form the guide portion 14 having different inclination angles, the side wall 12 follows the side surface of a frustum of oblique ellipsoids, where the center of the ellipse of the upper end 11 and the center of the ellipse of the lower end 13 are offset from each other in a plan view, as described above. Specifically, in Figure 2, the center of the ellipse of the upper end 11 is positioned to the left of the center of the ellipse of the lower end 13. This makes the inclination angle β larger than the inclination angle α in Figure 2. Alternatively, in Figure 2, the center of the ellipse of the upper end 11 may be positioned to the right of the center of the ellipse of the lower end 13. In this case, the inclination angle α is larger than the inclination angle β in Figure 2. Note that Figures 1 and 2 show the case where the planar shapes of the upper end 11 and the lower end 13 are ellipses, but the planar shapes of the upper end 11 and the lower end 13 may be other shapes. For example, the planar shape of the upper end 11 may be rectangular, polygonal, etc. The planar shape of the lower end 13 may be circular, quadrilateral, polygonal, etc. Even in such cases, if the center of the planar shape of the upper end 11 and the center of the planar shape of the bottom 13 are positioned at offset locations in a planar view, multiple guide portions 14 with different inclination angles can be formed on the side wall 12 as described above.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the embryo transfer container 100 includes a liquid storage section 20 arranged around the containment section 10. Both the containment section 10 and the liquid storage section 20 are housed inside the outermost part that makes up the entire embryo transfer container 100. The liquid storage section 20 is a part that can hold liquids necessary for the embryo transfer procedure, such as culture medium 30. The embryo transfer container 100 includes a first liquid storage section 20A and a second liquid storage section 20B as the liquid storage section 20. In the embryo transfer container 100, the first liquid storage section 20A and the second liquid storage section 20B are spaced apart from each other. Also, in the embryo transfer container 100, both the first liquid storage section 20A and the second liquid storage section 20B are spaced apart from each other from the containment section 10.

[0021] The first liquid storage section 20A has a wall surface 21 as its outer edge. The wall surface 21 has a straight wall surface 21a and a curved wall surface 21b. The straight wall surface 21a has a portion that extends along the outermost rectangular shape of the entire embryo transfer container 100 and a portion that faces the second liquid storage section 20B. The curved wall surface 21b is a portion that extends along the elliptical shape of the upper end 11 of the storage section 10. Therefore, the curved wall surface 21b may be a smooth curve as part of the ellipse (arc-shaped). However, the curved wall surface 21b may form a disordered wave pattern so as to have a rougher surface compared to a smooth, arc-shaped curved surface.

[0022] The second liquid reservoir 20B has a wall surface 22 as its outer edge. The wall surface 22 has a straight wall surface 22a and a curved wall surface 22b. The straight wall surface 22a, like the straight wall surface 21a, has a portion that extends along the outermost edge of the entire embryo transfer container 100 and a portion that faces the first liquid reservoir 20A. The configuration of the curved wall surface 22b is the same as that of the curved wall surface 21b.

[0023] <Effects and Effects> The embryo transfer container 100 according to this embodiment is used for transferring an embryo 40 that has been fertilized in vitro. The embryo transfer container 100 includes a housing section 10 for housing the embryo 40. The housing section 10 includes a side wall 12 and a bottom section 13 that is connected to the side wall 12 and in which the embryo 40 is placed. The side wall 12 includes a guide section 14 that defines the direction in which an instrument for manipulating the embryo 40 (catheter 200: see Figure 4 below) approaches the embryo 40 located in the bottom section 13.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing how a catheter is inserted into the guide portion of the embryo transfer container of Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 4, the embryo 40 is placed on the bottom 13 of the containment section 10 together with a culture medium 30 (see Figure 2), which is not shown. Note that in Figure 4, parts of the containment section 10 other than the bottom 13 are omitted from the illustration. In this state, the catheter 200 is inserted into the guide portion 14. The catheter 200 has an elongated shape. The catheter 200 is a device for aspirating the embryo 40. With the tip of the catheter 200 positioned near the embryo 40, the embryo 40 is aspirated and held inside the catheter 200. The catheter 200 is removed from the embryo transfer container 100. The catheter 200 holding the embryo 40 is used in the embryo transfer procedure.

[0025] As the catheter 200 passes through the guide section 14, the direction in which the catheter 200 approaches the embryo 40 is determined. Therefore, the direction in which the catheter 200 approaches the embryo 40, indicated by arrow M in Figure 4, remains constant regardless of the operator. In other words, the catheter 200 can always be brought close to the embryo 40 at the same angle and under the same conditions, regardless of the operator. Consequently, the manipulation (procedure) on the embryo 40 can be performed accurately and stably. This means that the procedure can be standardized and its safety can be improved.

[0026] In the embryo transfer container 100 described above, the guide portion 14 is a groove formed in the side wall 12. This allows the guide portion 14 to be realized with a simple structure, which involves forming a groove in the side wall 12 into which a catheter 200 can be inserted.

[0027] In the embryo transfer container 100 described above, the side walls 12 are inclined such that the width of the containment section 10 gradually narrows from the upper end 11 to the bottom 13. By placing the culture medium 30 containing the embryo 40 into the containment section 10, the embryo 40 sinks to the bottom 13, allowing it to be easily positioned at the bottom 13. In other words, the embryo 40 can be easily fixed in place on the bottom 13, which is its fixed position. Once the embryo 40 is fixed on the bottom 13 (fixed position), the embryo 40 can be more easily aspirated by inserting the catheter 200 through the guide section 14.

[0028] Furthermore, compared to the case where the side walls 12 are vertical (the bottom 13 is wide), the amount of culture medium 30 required to immerse the embryo 40 can be reduced. Since the culture medium 30 is expensive, shaping the containment section 10 as described above can reduce the cost of using the embryo transfer container 100.

[0029] In the embryo transfer container 100 described above, the planar shape of the containment section 10 is elliptical. The planar shape of the containment section 10 is the shape of the containment section 10 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the bottom section 13. In this way, the amount of culture medium 30 required to immerse the embryo 40 can be reduced compared to when the planar shape of the containment section 10 is circular (with the same diameter as the major axis of the ellipse).

[0030] In the embryo transfer container 100 described above, the guide section 14 includes a first guide section 14a and a second guide section 14b. When the embryo transfer container 100 is placed on a horizontal surface, the inclination angle α of the first guide section 14a with respect to the horizontal plane in the approach direction and the inclination angle β of the second guide section 14b with respect to the horizontal plane in the approach direction are different. The first guide section 14a and the second guide section 14b allow for accurate and stable operation under conditions where the approach direction of the catheter 200 to the embryo 40 is different. In other words, since each of the multiple guide sections 14 has different inclination angles α and β with respect to the horizontal plane, the catheter 200 can be approached to the embryo 40 at different angles depending on the situation.

[0031] The embryo transfer container 100 described above includes a liquid storage section 20 adjacent to the containment section 10, which is capable of containing culture medium 30. The liquid storage section 20 can contain, for example, a liquid for washing the catheter 200, or culture medium 30 for replenishing the containment section 10. Since culture medium 30 for replenishing the containment section 10 can be stored in the liquid storage section 20, work efficiency is improved.

[0032] In the embryo transfer container 100 described above, the liquid storage section 20 includes a first liquid storage section 20A and a second liquid storage section 20B. By storing culture medium 30 in the first liquid storage section 20A and the second liquid storage section 20B, it is possible to store culture medium 30 for different operations. For example, the first liquid storage section 20A stores culture medium 30 for supplying to the containment section 10, and the second liquid storage section 20B stores culture medium 30 for checking the instrument (catheter 200). This improves the work efficiency of operations using the embryo transfer container 100.

[0033] (Embodiment 2) Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the containment section of the embryo transfer container according to Embodiment 2. Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 2. The embryo transfer container shown in Figure 5, which has a containment section 10, basically has the same configuration as the embryo transfer container 100 shown in Figures 1 to 4 and can obtain the same effects. However, the configuration of the containment section 10 of the embryo transfer container 100 in Figure 5 differs from that of the embryo transfer container 100 shown in Figures 1 to 4. Specifically, the containment section 10 of the embryo transfer container 100 of this embodiment is placed on a horizontal surface with the bottom 13 as the lowest point, and has a vertically extending portion 15 that extends vertically downward from the upper end 11. The uppermost part of the vertically extending portion 15 is the upper end 11. The lowest part of the vertically extending portion 15 is connected to a side wall 12 which has the same shape as in Figure 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the side wall 12 is not directly connected to the upper end 11. The planar shape of the vertically extending portion 15 is, like the upper end 11, for example, elliptical.

[0034] The vertical length of the vertical extension portion 15 may be shorter than the vertical dimension of the side wall 12, as shown in Figure 5. However, the vertical extension portion 15 may be longer than the side wall 12, or they may be the same length.

[0035] A guide portion 14 is formed on the side wall 12. The guide portion 14 includes a first guide portion 14a and a second guide portion 14b. The uppermost parts of the first guide portion 14a and the second guide portion 14b are formed to reach the lowermost part of the vertically extending portion 15. A hole 16a is formed in the lowermost part of the vertically extending portion 15 where it intersects with the first guide portion 14a. A hole 16b is formed in the lowermost part of the vertically extending portion 15 where it intersects with the second guide portion 14b. The holes 16a and 16b are large enough to allow a catheter 200 (see Figure 4) to pass through.

[0036] In this embodiment, the catheter 200 is inserted into the housing section 10 through holes 16a and 16b. Hole 16a leads to the first guide section 14a. Hole 16b leads to the second guide section 14b. Therefore, the catheter 200 that enters the housing section 10 through holes 16a and 16b can pass through the first guide section 14a and the second guide section 14b and reach the bottom section 13. In this case, the insertion direction of the catheter 200 can be reliably aligned with the extending direction of the first guide section 14a or the second guide section 14b.

[0037] (Embodiment 3) Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an embryo transfer container and a lid used for the embryo transfer container according to the first example of Embodiment 3. In Figure 6, features that are the same as those of the previous embodiments will not be repeated in the explanation. As shown in Figure 6, the first example of this embodiment has basically the same external shape as a general embryo transfer container 100. In the first example, the embryo transfer container 100 has a circular shape in plan view. Therefore, in the first example, the planar shape of the containment section 10 is circular. Also in the first example, the planar shape of the liquid storage section 20 is annular. The liquid storage section 20 in Figure 6 has a wall surface 23 as an outer edge. The wall surface 23 has an outer wall surface 23a and an inner wall surface 23b. The outer wall surface 23a and the inner wall surface 23b are formed concentrically, and the outer wall surface 23a has a larger circular diameter than the inner wall surface 23b.

[0038] In this embodiment, the embryo transfer container 100 is further provided with a lid 50 that covers it from above. In plan view, the lid 50 has a circular shape, similar to the embryo transfer container 100. The lid 50 covers both the containment section 10 and the liquid storage section 20 of the embryo transfer container 100. For this reason, it is preferable that the diameter of the outer edge of the lid 50 is slightly larger than the diameter of the outer edge of the embryo transfer container 100. In plan view, the lid 50 has through holes 51 formed near the boundary region between the containment section 10 and the liquid storage section 20.

[0039] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the embryo transfer container shown in Figure 6 with the lid placed over it, viewed from above. The embryo transfer container 100 and lid 50 in this embodiment may be made of a transparent material. If they are transparent, the shape of the embryo transfer container 100 underneath can be seen even when the lid 50 is placed over it. However, in Figure 7, considering the case where they are made of opaque material, the shape of the embryo transfer container 100 is shown with a dotted line. As shown in Figure 7, the containment section 10 is located, for example, in the center of the embryo transfer container 100 in a plan view. However, the position of the containment section 10 is not limited to this. The bottom 13 in Figure 7 has a larger circle than the bottom 13 in Embodiment 1 and the like. The side wall 12 extends in a planar manner from the upper end 11 to the bottom 13. However, the upper end 11 is located outside the bottom 13 in a plan view. For this reason, the side wall 12 extends in a direction that is inclined with respect to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the containment section 10 and the like. In other words, the side walls 12 are inclined with respect to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the containment section 10 so that they move toward the bottom 13, which has a smaller surface area, as they move toward the bottom of the embryo transfer container 100. The guide section 14 is formed on the side walls 12. For this reason, the guide section 14 extends in a direction that is inclined with respect to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the containment section 10 and the like.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7, the through-hole 51 of the lid 50 extends in a direction inclined with respect to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the lid 50. Specifically, the through-hole 51 extends along the extension of the guide portion 14, so as to be in line with the extension direction of the guide portion 14. The guide portion 14 is along the side wall 12. Therefore, the through-hole 51 has a configuration that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to be along the side wall 12 and toward a region with a smaller area downwards.

[0041] Preferably, the cross-section of the through-hole 51 intersecting the extending direction has the same shape and size as the cross-section of the guide portion 14 intersecting the extending direction. Furthermore, when the lid 50 is placed over the embryo transfer container 100, the angle that the extending direction of the through-hole 51 makes with respect to the surface of the bottom portion 13 is preferably equal to the angle that the guide portion 14 below it makes with respect to the surface of the bottom portion 13.

[0042] In this way, with the lid 50 in place, the through-hole 51 is positioned to connect with the guide section 14. Therefore, the catheter 200 can be passed through from the through-hole 51 to the guide section 14. In other words, the catheter 200 inserted through the through-hole 51 of the lid 50 can pass through the through-hole 51 and then through the guide section 14 below it, as shown in Figure 4.

[0043] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an embryo transfer container and a lid used for the embryo transfer container according to the second example of Embodiment 3. As shown in Figure 8, the second example of this embodiment is an embryo transfer container 100 similar to that in Figure 1 of Embodiment 1, with a lid 50 placed over it, similar to the first example of this embodiment in Figure 7. In other words, in Figure 8, the lid 50 is added to Figure 1 of Embodiment 1. In the second example, the embryo transfer container 100 has a rectangular shape. Therefore, in the second example, the outermost shape of the lid 50 that fits onto the embryo transfer container 100 is also rectangular in plan view.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic view showing a state in which a lid is put on the embryo transfer container of FIG. 8. In FIG. 9, only a part of the lid 50 (the through-hole 51 and its vicinity) is illustrated. In FIG. 9, a part of the lid 50 is drawn and added to FIG. 2 of Embodiment 1. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 8, in the second example, as in the first example, the through-hole 51 extends on the extension line of the guide portion 14 along the extending direction of the guide portion 14. Also in FIG. 9, the through-hole 51 of the lid 50 extends in a direction inclined with respect to the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the lid 50. Specifically, the through-hole 51 extends on the extension line of the guide portion 14 along the extending direction of the guide portion 14. The guide portion 14 is along the side wall 12. For this reason, the through-hole 51 has an inclined mode with respect to the vertical direction so as to face a region with a small area downward along the side wall 12. Thereby, the same operational effects as those in the first example can be obtained also in the second example. That is, the catheter 200 inserted from the through-hole 51 of the lid 50 can pass through the inside of the through-hole 51 and then pass through the inside of the lower guide portion 14 in the same manner as in FIG. 4.

[0045] For this reason, the operation on the embryo 40 by the catheter 200 can be performed with the lid 50 put on the embryo transfer container 100. Here, when the lid 50 is removed from the embryo transfer container 100 and the operation on the embryo 40 is performed, there is a possibility that problems such as a change in the conditions (for example, pH, temperature, etc.) of the culture solution 30 in the accommodating portion 10 or evaporation of the culture solution 30 may occur. However, by performing the operation on the embryo 40 with the lid 50 put on the embryo transfer container 100 as described above, the occurrence of the above problems can be suppressed.

[0046] As described above, in the present embodiment, in both the first example and the second example, the lid 50 can be put on the embryo transfer container 100. The through-holes 51 formed so as to penetrate the lid 50 are arranged so as to line up on the extension line of the guide portion 14.

[0047] The features described in the above-described embodiments may be applied by appropriately combining them within a technically non-contradictory range.

[0048] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included.

[0049] (Supplementary Note) The above embodiments include the following configurations.

[0050] <Supplementary Note 1> An embryo transfer container used for transplanting an in vitro fertilized embryo, comprising a storage part for storing the embryo, the storage part including a side wall and a bottom connected to the side wall and on which the embryo is placed, the side wall including a guide part for defining the approaching direction of an instrument for operating on the embryo with respect to the embryo placed on the bottom.

[0051] <Supplementary Note 2> The embryo transfer container according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the guide part is a groove formed in the side wall.

[0052] <Supplementary Note 3> The embryo transfer container according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the side wall is inclined such that the width of the storage part gradually narrows from the upper end of the storage part towards the bottom.

[0053] <Supplementary Note 4> The embryo transfer container according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the planar shape of the storage part is an elliptical shape.

[0054] <Supplementary Note 5> The embryo transfer container according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the guide part includes a first guide part and a second guide part, and the inclination angle of the approaching direction of the first guide part with respect to the horizontal plane when the embryo transfer container is placed on a horizontal plane is different from the inclination angle of the approaching direction of the second guide part with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0055] <Supplementary Note 6> The embryo transfer container according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, further comprising a liquid storage part adjacent to the storage part and capable of storing a culture solution.

[0056] <Supplementary Note 7> The embryo transfer container according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the liquid storage part includes a first liquid storage part and a second liquid storage part.

[0057] 10 Containment section, 11 Upper end, 12 Side wall, 13 Bottom, 14 Guide section, 14a First guide section, 14b Second guide section, 15 Vertical extension section, 16a, 16b Holes, 20 Liquid storage section, 20A First liquid storage section, 20B Second liquid storage section, 21, 22, 23 Wall surfaces, 21a, 22a Straight wall surfaces, 21b, 22b Curved wall surfaces, 23a Outer wall surface, 23b Inner wall surface, 30 Culture medium, 40 Embryo, 50 Lid, 51 Through hole, 100 Embryo transfer container, 200 Catheter.

Claims

1. An embryo transfer container used for transferring an embryo fertilized in vitro, comprising a containment section for containing the embryo, wherein the containment section includes a side wall and a bottom section connected to the side wall and on which the embryo is placed, and the side wall includes a guide section that defines the direction in which an instrument for performing operations on the embryo approaches the embryo placed at the bottom.

2. The embryo transfer container according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is a groove formed in the side wall.

3. The embryo transfer container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side wall is inclined such that the width of the storage section gradually narrows from the upper end to the bottom of the storage section.

4. The embryo transfer container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the planar shape of the containment section is elliptical.

5. The embryo transfer container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide portion includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion, and the angle of inclination of the first guide portion with respect to the horizontal plane in the approaching direction and the angle of inclination of the second guide portion with respect to the horizontal plane in the approaching direction are different when the embryo transfer container is placed on a horizontal surface.

6. The embryo transfer container according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a liquid storage section adjacent to the storage section and capable of storing a culture medium.

7. The embryo transfer container according to claim 6, wherein the liquid storage section includes a first liquid storage section and a second liquid storage section.

Images