Uterine lavage for embryo retrieval

Inventors

Buster, John E. • Cesario, Moses • Woodard, Steven Paul

Assignees

PREVIVO GENETICS LLC • Butterfly Biosciences Inc

Abstract

A device for recovering one or more blastocysts from the uterus of a human includes an outer guide member for insertion into a cervical canal of the human. The outer guide member includes a distal portion with an activatable seal for isolating the uterus from the external environment and defines a lumen having a longitudinal axis. The device also includes an inner catheter located within the lumen and slidable along the longitudinal axis of the lumen relative to the outer guide member. The inner catheter has a distal tip positionable distally of the seal to extend into the uterus and includes a fluid delivery lumen terminating at a distal fluid delivery port for delivering fluid into the uterus. The device defines a distal suction port for aspirating fluid and entrained blastocysts from the uterus. The distal fluid delivery port and the distal suction port are arranged such that, in use, fluid delivered from the distal fluid delivery port travels through the distal suction port to the uterus.

Core Innovation

The disclosure describes a device for recovering one or more blastocysts from a uterus of a human. An outer guide member is inserted into a cervical canal and includes a seal configured to isolate the uterus from an external environment, and the outer guide member defines a lumen having a longitudinal axis that supports placement of an inner catheter within the lumen.

The inner catheter is slidable along the longitudinal axis relative to the outer guide member, and includes a distal tip positionable distally of the seal to extend into the uterus. The inner catheter defines a fluid delivery lumen terminating at a fluid delivery port for delivering fluid into the uterus, and the device further defines a suction port for aspirating fluid and entrained blastocysts from the uterus.

A priming cap is configured to cover the fluid delivery and suction ports to provide sealing that allows priming of the device prior to use. Additional described variations refine the port geometry and orientation features while maintaining the sealing and slidable catheter arrangement for aspiration of fluid and entrained blastocysts.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes two independent claims that cover a uterus-insertion blastocyst recovery device with an outer cervical guide member, an inner slidable catheter, sealed fluid delivery and suction ports, and a priming cap for sealing during priming. Across the independent claims, five main inventive features are recited.

Both independent claims are centered on the same combination: an outer guide member with a sealing isolator, an inner catheter slidable to position a distal tip in the uterus, a fluid delivery lumen terminating at a fluid delivery port, and a suction port for aspirating fluid and entrained blastocysts such that delivered fluid routes through the suction port to the uterus. Both also include a priming cap that covers the fluid delivery and suction ports to allow sealed priming prior to use.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications