A mare embryo collection device with magnifying viewing window

Abstract

The application discloses a horse embryo collecting device with an amplification observation window and relates to the technical field of horse embryo transplantation. The horse embryo collecting device with the amplification observation window comprises a collecting cup body, a filter screen assembly and an amplification observation window. The filter screen assembly is arranged in the cavity and located on a fluid passage between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. The amplification observation window is installed at the top opening of the collecting cup body. The amplification observation window comprises a lens assembly and a mounting seat. The mounting seat is in sealing connection with the opening, and the lens assembly is fixedly arranged in the mounting seat. The optical axis of the lens assembly is directed to the upper surface of the filter screen assembly, and the object focal plane of the lens assembly is located in the depth of field range of the upper surface of the filter screen assembly. The horse embryo collecting device with the amplification observation window realizes real-time visualization of the embryo flushing process, reduces the blindness of the embryo flushing operation and the risk of embryo omission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of technology, and more specifically to a device for collecting equine embryos with a magnifying observation window. Background Technology

[0002] Equine embryo transfer (EEM) is a key biotechnology in equine reproduction, capable of fully utilizing the reproductive potential of superior mares, increasing their breeding efficiency from 1 horse per year through natural reproduction to 6-8 horses per year. Worldwide, most horse breed registration agencies, except for Thoroughbreds, allow the registration of offspring obtained through embryo transfer, giving this technology irreplaceable industrial value in equine breeding improvement. The selection of donor horses and the precise timing of embryo loading are crucial factors determining the success or failure of embryo retrieval.

[0003] One of the core steps in equine embryo transfer is embryo collection (also known as flushing), which involves using non-surgical methods to flush and retrieve early-stage embryos from the donor mare's uterus. This process requires accurate and efficient separation and retrieval of the embryos from the flushing fluid while ensuring the mare's reproductive health and the integrity of the embryos. Embryos are most commonly retrieved on days 7-8 after ovulation, at which point their diameter is typically about 300-500 micrometers (0.3-0.5 millimeters), almost invisible to the naked eye, requiring microscopy and other auxiliary tools for observation and identification. The integrity of the embryos during collection and their identifiability in the filter directly affects the success rate of subsequent transfer.

[0004] Traditional equine embryo collection devices typically consist of: a flushing fluid container, a flushing fluid inlet tubing, a catheter that can be inserted into the uterus (usually a Foley balloon catheter), a flushing fluid outlet tubing, an embryo collection cup (or filter collection cup), and corresponding flow control valves. During flushing, the catheter is inserted into the uterus through the vagina and cervix. The internal cervical os is sealed by inflating the balloon, and then flushing fluid is injected to flush the uterine cavity. The flushing fluid carrying the embryos flows back into the collection cup through the catheter. Existing bovine and equine embryo collection devices generally adopt the design concept of "filtering culture medium and retaining embryos on a filter screen." The bottom of the collection cup usually has a microporous filter screen (e.g., with a pore size of about 75 μm). Embryos are retained above the filter screen, and operators subsequently pick out embryonic cells from the filter screen and transfer them to a microscope for morphological observation and quality assessment. In some improved designs, the collection cup has a removable mesh or inner cup structure at the bottom to facilitate the transfer of embryos to an observation dish.

[0005] The drawback of this approach is that the previously mainstream equine embryo collection devices lack any visual observation structure in the collection cup or filter itself throughout the flushing and collection process. Operators cannot observe in real time whether embryos have flowed out of the flushing fluid, the approximate number of embryos, or their initial morphology. Operators often need to wait until collection is complete, remove the filter, and move it to a stereomicroscope for embryo search and identification, a cumbersome and time-consuming process. If abnormalities occur during flushing (such as embryos failing to flush out successfully or being obscured by mucus), operators cannot promptly detect and adjust their strategies, potentially leading to the failure of the entire flushing operation.

[0006] Due to the lack of a direct observation window, key operations during embryo flushing, such as adjusting the flushing fluid flow rate, controlling the balloon pressure, and determining the collection endpoint, rely almost entirely on the operator's personal experience. Inexperienced operators may damage the endometrium due to over-flushing or leave embryos behind due to insufficient flushing. Furthermore, selecting embryos from the collection cup's filter also requires extensive experience; the small number and tiny size of embryos (300-500 micrometers in diameter) further increase the risk of omission. This not only affects the embryo recovery rate but also hinders the widespread application of equine embryo transfer technology at the grassroots level.

[0007] Therefore, how to provide a horse embryo collection device with a magnified observation window that offers real-time visualization, reduces operational blindness, minimizes embryo omissions, and lowers the experience threshold is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of this, the present invention provides a horse embryo collection device with a magnified observation window, which aims to solve one of the problems in the above-mentioned background art, providing real-time visualization, reducing operational blindness, reducing embryo omissions, and lowering the experience threshold.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A device for collecting equine embryos with a magnifying observation window, comprising: The collection cup body has an internal cavity, an inlet and an outlet opposite each other on the collection cup body, and an opening at the top of the collection cup body; A filter assembly is disposed within the cavity and located in the fluid passage between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; A magnifying observation window is installed at the top opening of the collection cup body. The magnifying observation window includes a lens assembly and a mounting base. The mounting base is sealed to the opening, and the lens assembly is fixedly installed inside the mounting base. The optical axis of the lens assembly points to the upper surface of the filter assembly, and the object-side focal plane of the lens assembly is located within the depth of field of the upper surface of the filter assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the mounting base and the opening of the collecting cup body are sealed by a threaded pressure ring and a sealing ring, wherein the sealing ring is a silicone ring or a fluororubber ring.

[0011] Furthermore, the magnified observation window also includes a reticle with a scale, and the reticle is disposed in the optical path of the lens assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, the lighting component is configured as a side-lit LED light source, and the lighting component is disposed on the side wall of the collection cup body, with the light from the lighting component obliquely incident on the upper surface of the filter component.

[0013] Furthermore, the inner side of the liquid inlet is provided with a flow guiding structure, which is used to uniformly guide the incoming liquid to the upper surface of the filter assembly.

[0014] Furthermore, an adapter bracket is provided on the outside of the magnified observation window. The adapter bracket is used to fix an external imaging device so that the lens of the imaging device is aligned with the exit pupil of the lens assembly.

[0015] Furthermore, the lens assembly includes at least one plano-convex lens, biconvex lens, or Fresnel lens, and the lens assembly is made of optical glass or transparent polymer material.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a horse embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window, the beneficial effects of which are: 1) By setting a magnified observation window on the top of the collection cup, pointing the optical axis of the lens assembly to the upper surface of the filter assembly, and with the object focal plane located within the depth of field of the upper surface of the filter, the operator can directly observe the situation of the material trapped on the filter through the magnified observation window during the embryo flushing process; the "moment of discovery" of the embryo is moved from the stage of picking under a stereomicroscope after collection in the traditional scheme to the collection process, and is brought forward to the collection process, fundamentally changing the traditional collection device's "collect first, then observe" operation mode; 2) The operator can use the real-time visual information obtained through the magnified observation window to determine whether there are embryos flowing out of the flushing fluid, the approximate number of embryos, and their preliminary morphology. This allows for real-time adjustment of parameters such as the flushing flow rate, total flushing volume, and catheter position. When it is observed that the embryos have been effectively flushed out, flushing can be stopped in time to reduce unnecessary uterine flushing volume and lower the risk of stimulation to the donor mares and endometrial damage. If no embryos are observed, the catheter position can be adjusted or the flushing strategy can be changed in time to avoid discovering recovery failure only after the operation is completed, significantly improving the success rate and efficiency of a single flushing. 3) The magnified observation window allows for observation of the embryo clumps covered in mucus and their approximate distribution on the filter screen during the collection process. This enables operators to make targeted selections during subsequent sorting, effectively reducing the probability of missed selections and improving the embryo recovery rate. The intuitive magnified visual feedback provided allows even inexperienced operators to effectively judge the collection process and endpoint through visual observation, which is conducive to the standardized promotion of equine embryo transfer technology in grassroots units and small breeding farms. 4) An additional lighting component provides directional illumination inside the collection cup, overcoming the problem of insufficient natural light and difficulty in clear observation within the collection cup cavity. The side-lit LED light source illuminates the filter surface at an angle, utilizing the difference in scattered light between the embryo and the filter background to create a contrast, significantly improving the identification of transparent or translucent horse embryos. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the equine embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window provided by the present invention.

[0019] Wherein: 1 is the collection cup body; 11 is the liquid inlet; 12 is the liquid outlet; 13 is the liquid collection chamber; 2 is the filter assembly; 3 is the magnifying observation window; 31 is the lens assembly; 32 is the mounting base; 33 is the reticle; 4 is the illumination assembly; 5 is the flow guiding structure; 6 is the adapter bracket; 7 is the imaging device. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] See Figure 1 This invention discloses a device for collecting equine embryos with a magnifying observation window, comprising: The collection cup body 1 has an internal cavity, and the collection cup body 1 has an inlet 11 and an outlet 12 opposite to each other. The top of the collection cup body 1 has an opening. The collection cup body 1 has a collection chamber 13 inside, and the collection chamber 13 is located at the bottom of the filter assembly 2. The filter assembly 2 is disposed in the cavity and is located in the fluid passage between the liquid inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 12; the pore size of the filter assembly 2 is set to 50μm to 100μm, and the filter assembly 2 is detachably disposed in the cavity of the collection cup body 1. The magnifying observation window 3 is installed at the top opening of the collection cup body 1. The magnifying observation window 3 includes a lens assembly 31 and a mounting base 32. The mounting base 32 is sealed to the opening, and the lens assembly 31 is fixedly installed in the mounting base 32. The mounting structure of the lens assembly 31 is an adjustable focusing structure, which includes a threaded focusing mechanism. The distance between the lens assembly 31 and the upper surface of the filter assembly 2 can be adjusted by rotation. The optical axis of the lens assembly 31 points to the upper surface of the filter assembly 2, and the object-side focal plane of the lens assembly 31 is located within the depth of field of the upper surface of the filter assembly 2.

[0022] In this embodiment, the mounting base 32 and the opening of the collection cup body 1 are sealed by a threaded pressure ring and a sealing ring. The sealing ring is made of silicone or fluororubber. The structure is simple and compact, and the sealing is reliable. It not only ensures that the liquid does not leak during the embryo punching process, but also facilitates disassembly, cleaning and sterilization, thus meeting the biosafety requirements of veterinary clinical practice.

[0023] In this embodiment, the magnified observation window 3 also includes a reticle 33, which is provided with a scale and is disposed in the optical path of the lens assembly 31.

[0024] In this embodiment, an illumination component 4 is also included. The illumination component 4 is mounted on the mounting base 32 and provides illumination to the upper surface area of ​​the filter component 2. The illumination component 4 includes a brightness adjustment module and an illumination mode switching module. The illumination mode switching module includes a bright field illumination mode and a dark field illumination mode.

[0025] In this embodiment, the lighting component 4 is configured as a side-lit LED light source, and the lighting component 4 is disposed on the side wall of the collecting cup body 1. The light from the lighting component 4 is obliquely incident on the upper surface of the filter component 2.

[0026] In this embodiment, a flow guiding structure 5 is provided on the inner side of the inlet 11. The flow guiding structure 5 is used to uniformly guide the incoming liquid to the upper surface of the filter assembly 2. The flow guiding structure 5 guides the incoming rinsing liquid to the upper surface of the filter assembly 2 evenly and gently, avoiding physical damage to the embryo and local blockage of the filter caused by concentrated liquid impact. This helps to maintain the integrity of the zona pellucida of the embryo and ensure the subsequent transplantation effect.

[0027] In this embodiment, an adapter bracket 6 is also provided on the outside of the magnified observation window 3. The adapter bracket 6 is used to fix the external imaging device 7 so that the lens of the imaging device 7 is aligned with the exit pupil of the lens assembly 31. The adapter bracket 6 provided on the outside of the magnified observation window 3 can fix external imaging devices 7 such as mobile phones and digital cameras, expand the observation screen to a larger display screen, facilitate multi-person collaborative observation, and support taking pictures or recording videos of the observation results, providing convenience for quality traceability, teaching and training and remote consultation.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lens assembly 31 includes at least one plano-convex lens, biconvex lens, or Fresnel lens, and the lens assembly 31 is made of optical glass or transparent polymer material.

[0029] In addition, in this embodiment, the magnification of the lens assembly 31 is 2 to 10 times, the diameter of the observation area corresponding to the upper surface of the filter assembly is not less than 10 mm, and the distance from the lower surface of the lens assembly 31 to the upper surface of the filter assembly 2 is 25 mm to 80 mm.

[0030] The lighting component 4 is configured as a ring-shaped LED light source, surrounding the outer periphery of the lens component 31, and the light shines on the upper surface of the filter component 2 along the optical axis.

[0031] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0032] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A device for collecting equine embryos with a magnifying observation window, characterized in that, include: The collection cup body (1) has a cavity inside, and the collection cup body (1) has an inlet (11) and a outlet (12) opposite to each other. The top of the collection cup body (1) has an opening. A filter assembly (2) is disposed in the cavity and is located in the fluid passage between the liquid inlet (11) and the liquid outlet (12). A magnifying observation window (3) is installed at the top opening of the collection cup body (1). The magnifying observation window (3) includes a lens assembly (31) and a mounting base (32). The mounting base (32) is sealed to the opening. The lens assembly (31) is fixedly installed inside the mounting base (32). The optical axis of the lens assembly (31) points to the upper surface of the filter assembly (2), and the object-side focal plane of the lens assembly (31) is located within the depth of field of the upper surface of the filter assembly (2).

2. The equine embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting base (32) and the opening of the collecting cup body (1) are sealed by a threaded pressure ring and a sealing ring, wherein the sealing ring is a silicone ring or a fluororubber ring.

3. The equine embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnified observation window (3) also includes a reticle (33), which is provided with a scale and is located in the optical path of the lens assembly (31).

4. The equine embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lighting component (4) is configured as a side-lit LED light source. The lighting component (4) is disposed on the side wall of the collection cup body (1). The light from the lighting component (4) is obliquely incident on the upper surface of the filter component (2).

5. The equine embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner side of the liquid inlet (11) is provided with a flow guiding structure (5), which is used to uniformly guide the incoming liquid to the upper surface of the filter assembly (2).

6. The equine embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window according to claim 1, characterized in that, An adapter bracket (6) is also provided on the outside of the magnified observation window (3). The adapter bracket (6) is used to fix the external imaging device (7) so that the lens of the imaging device (7) is aligned with the exit pupil of the lens assembly (31).

7. The equine embryo collection device with a magnifying observation window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lens assembly (31) includes at least one plano-convex lens, biconvex lens or Fresnel lens, and the lens assembly (31) is made of optical glass or transparent polymer material.

Images