Practical Laboratory Andrology

Book excerpt: This practical manual on sperm analysis presents the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that are used in andrology laboratories to analyze and assess male infertility. Diagnostic areas include: semen analysis and the biochemical, immunological and microbiological examination of human semen and spermatozoa; computer-aided sperm motility analysis; sperm ultrastructure; and assessment of sperm transport through the female tract and sperm fertilizing ability. The clinical relevance of various diagnostic procedures is also discussed. Therapeutic topics include sperm washing techniques, semen cryopreservation, and insemination procedures. The volume also covers safety in the andrology laboratory, technician training, and quality control. The text is extensively illustrated and will be an invaluable resource to all scientists and technicians who diagnose male infertility. It will also be of interest to researchers working in human gamete biology and reproductive physiology. The detailed methods described in the book are relevant to all hospital, commercial, and university laboratories involved in infertility diagnosis and treatment.