BD Falcon™ In Vitro Fertilization Plasticware

BD Falcon™ In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) products are the first plasticware available that is certified sterile, non-pyrogenic and nonembryotoxic. These pretested products save time and expense in complying with College of American Pathologists (CAP) and American Fertility Society (AFS) recommended standards for IVF labs.

Each lot of BD Falcon IVF plasticware is tested for embryotoxicity using a 1-cell mouse embryo test. Mouse embryos are isolated at the 2-cell stage from B6C3FL females following superovulation with gonadotropin and mating with BDF1 males. The IVF products are tested by culturing embyros both in the labware itself and media that has been in contact with the labware for 24 hours at 37°C. Products are deemed nonembryotoxic if they support the growth of more than 75 percent of the embryos to the expanded and/or hatched blastocyst stage.

To improve manipulation of ova and embryos, BD Biosciences designed, in conjunction with embryologists, an innovative 4-well plate. A unique lid reduces the risk of contamination and minimizes evaporation by providing access to two wells at a time while two remain covered. The wells are numbered and a large writing patch allows clear sample identification. Plates are packaged in individual peel-open trays for sterile presentation.

BD Falcon IVF dishes and 4-well plates are manufactured from virgin crystal-grade polystyrene tested for USP Class VI cytotoxicity. They have flat, optically clear surfaces for optimum manipulation and observation of ova and embryos. Lids were designed for aseptic manipulation and consistent venting to maintain humidification.