IVF treatment. Equipment used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a type of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique. IVF is performed when a couple want children but cannot conceive naturally. In ICSI, the woman's egg cell (ovum) is held in place by a pipette and a sperm cell is injected into it using a microneedle. Due to the tiny size of the cells, this procedure is performed under a light microscope (centre). Once fertilised, the eggs cell is implanted into the woman's uterine lining. Usually several fertilised eggs are implanted to improve the chances of success.