During
the pick-up procedure, the fluid drawn from each follicle is immediately
examined under a microscope to find the oocyte which
it contains.
Oocytes
are transferred from their follicular fluid into plastic wells
containing a special culture medium.
They
are then inseminated with a suspension of spermatozoa from
the partner (see below) and placed into an incubator maintained
at 37°C
in a controlled gas environment.
These
different steps are, of course, carried out under strict aseptic
conditions (i.e. preventing any possibility of infection).
