Patent ID: 8690752

Claim:
An apparatus for separating and collecting one or more oocytes from a fluid mixture, comprising: a chamber configured for insertion into a hollow elongate tube, said hollow elongate tube having an open upper end and a closed lower end, said chamber comprising an upper end and a lower end; an inlet channel extending within said chamber from said upper end of said chamber to said lower end of said chamber, wherein said inlet channel is configured to receive an inlet tube of an aspiration assembly that injects said fluid mixture comprising said one or more oocytes and extraneous fluids into said inlet channel towards said closed lower end of said hollow elongate tube; a separation unit positioned within said chamber at said lower end of said chamber, said separation unit comprising one or more walls and a ceiling, said separation unit further comprising a porous filter rigidly positioned within a cavity defined at said lower end of said chamber, wherein said porous filter is configured to selectively filter said fluid mixture to retain said one or more oocytes from said fluid mixture at said closed lower end of said hollow elongate tube; and an outlet channel extending longitudinally from an opening in said ceiling of said separation unit to said upper end of said chamber, wherein said outlet channel is configured to receive an outlet tube of said aspiration assembly for allowing a substantial portion of said extraneous fluids separated from said fluid mixture to be withdrawn out of said chamber on an application of a vacuum suction force, and for allowing said one or more oocytes to be retained and collected at said closed lower end of said hollow elongate tube.