This intention of this chapter is not to provide a fully comprehensive listing of all consumables, and suppliers thereof, that may be used for micromanipulation. Rather, the emphasis is on the requirement for specific types of materials to perform different aspects of micromanipulation technique. In most instances, a given type of consumable is often provided by a number of different suppliers, the choice usually being determined by personal preference. In this respect, most of the suppliers listed are either internationally well established or those with which the authors have dealt with in the past. Therefore, although these may not be the very best available, in most instances they have at least been tried and have been proven suitable for the purpose for which they are intended.

MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THE PREPARATION OF SPERMATOZOA

It must be appreciated that spermatozoa are living cells and, therefore, should be handled gently during preparation. This point is particularly pertinent to samples with reduced viability, such as those sometimes recovered from surgical aspiration of the epididymis or testis. Also, occasionally samples with an intrinsically short lifespan are encountered. Therefore, handling should be minimized to that sufficient to provide spermatozoa in a condition free of debris, suitable for micromanipulation. In this respect, parameters such as the buffer employed in the medium to maintain physiological pH and the temperature at which the medium is maintained are less critical, as human spermatozoa are particularly susceptible only to acidic conditions and do not exhibit ‘cold-shock’.