BANGKOK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Infertility, defined as the failure to conceive after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected intercourse, may affect as many as 15% of couples with a similar incidence around the world, including Asia.¹ The cause can be traced to a number of physical and environmental factors and viewed as not only a personal, private problem but a larger health issue facing governments and societies.

As the quantity of A.R.T. cycles increases, scientists and physicians in Asia are looking to improve the quality of A.R.T. cycles as well. One critical factor in an A.R.T. process is the proper culture and selection of fertilized embryos and their successful implantation in the woman’s womb.

“Maximizing the Implementation of an Embryo” is the focus topic at a roundtable briefing hosted by Cook Medical for the medical and scientific press prior to the 3rd Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE 2010), April 9-11 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Date： Friday, 9 April 2010

Time： 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Media registration: 10:30 a.m.)

Venue: Lotus Room #10, Centara Grand Hotel, CentralWorld, Bangkok

During the briefing, chaired by Christina Anné, vice president and global business leader for Cook Medical’s Women’s Health division, experts in reproductive technology from Australia, China and Thailand will discuss important topics related to:

• Optimizing the culture and selection of the best embryos for transfer
• The preferred techniques for embryo culture
• Preparation of the mother’s endometrium for implantation

Panelists include:

• Dr. Teraporn Vutyavanich: associate professor, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University, Thailand
• Dr. Qiao Jie: chair-elect of the Chinese Reproductive Medicine Association, vice-general secretary, director and professor, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and director of Fertility Center at Peking University 3rd Hospital, China; and director of obstetrics and gynecology faculty and doctoral advisor at Beijing Medical University, China
• Steven McArthur: scientific director at Sydney IVF, Sydney, Australia.
• Kim Giliam: embryologist and global product manager for culture media, Cook Medical

About Cook Medical

Founded in 1963, Cook Medical pioneered many of the medical devices now commonly used to perform minimally invasive medical procedures throughout the body. Today, the company integrates medical devices, drugs and biologic grafts to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes. Since its inception, Cook has operated as a family-held private corporation. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com. Follow Cook Medical on Twitter at twitter.com/cookmedicalpr.

¹ Ata B, Seli E. Economics of assisted reproductive technologies. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2010;2. http://journals.lww.com/coobgyn/Abstract/publishahead/Economics_of_assisted_reproductive_technologies.99904.aspx. Accessed February 22, 2010