RCS 705 - In Vitro Fertilization Technology

3 Credit Hours
In vitro fertilization has given its name to the field of reproductive medicine. This course presents a historic overview of the field of IVF and all current techniques and regulatory issues including: how to collect, recover, assess, prepare, fertilize and maintain gametes and embryos; the basic protocols for IVF, ICSI, GIFT, ZIFT, TET and ET; the types of culture media and culture systems used in IVF; how to design and maintain a quality IVF laboratory; the principles and application of Quality Assurance (QC, proficiency testing) and laboratory safety (security, fire, electrical, patient issues, staff issues); the operation and maintenance of common lab equipment, recordkeeping, personnel issues and standards of good practice; how to troubleshoot problems that may arise in the IVF lab; and topical subjects, such as derivation of embryo stem cells from blastocysts and cloning. Assigned asynchronous discussions with faculty and students connect students with current topics allowing them to present their own experiences and to review the current literature for changes in the field.