62 results about "Sperm activation" patented technology

A kit for testing male fertility comprises a vessel, a base unit, a liquid supply containing liquid and two filters. The first filter is a sample separation filter which forms a hindrance to transmission of spermatozoa. The second filter of the kit is a spermatozoa detection filter comprising a reagent for identifying spermatozoa. Activation of the kit is prevented until a transport medium, such as the liquid, fills a gap allowing spermatozoa to transmit to a detection zone. The kit may be of one-piece construction and utilizes a thin piece of filter material to separate motile from non-motile spermatozoa.

A method for collecting and preserving semen of various animals including humans, canines, porcines, bovines, ovines and others involves collecting the semen into a collection vessel where the collection vessel is provided with an extender solution for the semen prior to its collection. Moreover, the extended is preferably maintained at a temperature close to normal body temperature of the species being collected over the time period of its collection. The extender is chosen to buffer the pH of the semen sample and to be isotonic with the semen. The volume of the extender in the collection vessel is preferably chosen such that the semen volume is initially diluted with twice its volume extender solution and some period thereafter the extended semen sample is diluted again at the same ratio. Collection into warmed extender media lessened the cold and pH shock to the spermatozoa, as shown by improved semen parameters. The extender solution is preferably rich in calcium ion. A collection vessel resembling an inverted Y is used for collecting distinct semen samples for comparative study.

The invention relates to an artificial seedling method for hybrid mussels in factory, comprising the seedling steps as follows: parent clam selecting, parent clam reinforced cultivation, stimulating the production by drying in the shade and flowing water, selecting the spermatozoa of the male parent thick shell mussels and ovum of the female parent blue mussel, larval culture, juvenile culture, etc. The hybrid seedling technique of the invention can successfully cultivate the healthy and high-quality hybrid juvenile mussels, provide the material condition for the property improvement of the mussels, meanwhile, the method of the invention lays the technical foundation for adding a new cultivation type for the seawater mussel cultivation in China and has important theoretical significance and wide application prospect.

This invention relates to microfluidic chips for and their applications in acquiring sperms with high velocity and/or motility. The microfluidic chip comprises an inlet region, a first flow channel, a divergent channel, an optional block structure with rounded corners and one or more outlet region(s). The invention mimics sperm activation process in body and designs a microfluidic chip mimicking the activation process so that higher amount of populations and/or subpopulations of sperms with high motility can be acquired.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for producing a mammalian pre-embryo and a stem cell having a better quality than prior art methods. The system comprises means for obtaining a mammalian oocyte, and means for obtaining a mammalian spermatozoa, and an apparatus having at least two separate air-tight chambers, for which the oxygen tension of one chamber may be changed independent of the oxygen tension of the other chamber, said at least two separate air-tight chambers constitute a main chamber and at least one residence chamber. The method for in vitro producing a mammalian pre-embryo comprising the steps: a1) providing a mammalian oocyte, a2) providing a mammalian spermatozoa, b) culturing the oocyte and the spermatozoa, c) fertilizing the oocyte with the spermatozoa obtaining a fertilized oocyte, and d) allowing cell-division of the fertilized oocyte obtaining a multicellular pre-embryo wherein at least one of the steps a1) or a2) is conducted at an oxygen tension below 15%, or e) allowing cell-division of the fertilized oocyte obtaining a multicellular pre-embryo, wherein the culture is performed at an oxygen tension allowing cultivation of the cells and wherein at least one of the steps comprises a change in the oxygen tension. Stem cells are produced from the multicellular pre-embryo.

Antimicrobial and contraceptive compositions and methods which prevent and/or reduce the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases through sexual activity as well as prevent and/or reduce the risk of pregnancy are provided. The compositions contain (1) a matrix-forming agent, (2) a bio-adhesive agent, (3) a buffering agent, (4) optionally a humectant, (5) optionally a preservative, and (6) water; wherein the composition is suitable for application within the vagina; wherein the compositions form a semisolid matrix on contact with ejaculate (thereby trapping ejaculated microbes and spermatozoa); wherein the composition causes hardening of cervical mucus (thereby decreasing the probability of sperm entry); wherein the composition forms a bio-adhesive layer over vaginal surfaces (thereby preventing or reducing the risk of contact of STD-causing microbes with the vaginal surfaces); wherein the composition maintains an acidic vaginal pH of less than about 5 in the presence of semen ejaculated from the male; and wherein the composition does not significantly impair the natural microbiological balance within the vagina. The antimicrobial and contraceptive compositions may also contain additional antimicrobial and/or contraceptive agents (e.g., nonoxynol-9, octoxynol-9, benzalkonium chloride, phosphorylated hesperidins, sulfonated hesperidins, polystyrene sulfonates, substituted benzenesulfonic acid formaldehyde co-polymers, H2SO4-modified mandelic acids, povidone iodine, itraconazole, ketoconazole, metronidazole, clotrimazole, fluconazole, teraconazole, miconazole, tinidazole, iconazole, chloramphenicol, nystatin, cyclopiroxolamine, and the like).

A hybridization method between Chinese spiny sea cucumber and Russian (or korean) one for preparing the hybrid one with high growth speed, stress resistance, survival rate and nutritive value includes such steps as using special culture technique to make them mature symultaneously, artificial oxytocia to obtain their spermatozoa and ova, artificial fertilization, and culturing fertilizer ova until they become laval plankton.

The present invention provides a microinjection assembly including a microscope, a microinjection system comprising a micromanipulator, a micropipette and a piezo-electric oscillator, and an obliquely angled macro monitoring unit. The present invention also provides methods of microinjecting the germinal disk of an avian egg, thereby delivering a transgenic nucleus, spermatozoon or isolated nucleic acid to the avian embryo. The avian ovum may be returned to a female bird for hard-shell deposit and laying of the egg for hatching as a transfected bird.

Technology for bulk preserving spermatozoa of Chinese sturgeon through freezing at ultralow temperature comprises collecting and detecting fresh spermatozoa, diluting, balancing, adding antifreeze, subpackaging, program cooling, and preserving in liquid nitrogen container of -196deg.C. Each bulk can freeze 100 mL fresh spermatozoa. when the first bulk spermatozoa is in the procedure cooling step, after 5 minute, starting diluting the second bulk spermatozoa, and repeating above steps until all spermatozoa is preserved 8-12 h before its effective time. The diluent is Tris-HCl 20-30 millimole, sucrose 30-60 mol, potassium chloride 2-10 millimole, and distilled water 1000mL, and regulating pH to 8-8.5 with HCl. The antifreeze is methanol. The invention can efficiently carry out bulk preservation of Chinese sturgeon spermatozoa through freezing at ultralow temperature and long term ultralow temperature freezing preservation, and provide enough spermatozoa resource for artificial propagation of Chinese sturgeon.

This invention discloses one sperm acrosin activity quantifying testing agent, which comprises depressor, buffer liquid, terminal liquid and bottom liquid, wherein the said bottom liquid comprises N-ª

An integrated automated system comprising a microfluidic cassette, and methods of use thereof, for intracytoplasmic sperm injection assisted fertilization. The microfluidic cassette and the integrated automated system provides a complete set-up of human gametes for assisted in vitro fertilization, including proper cell stage recognition, gamete propulsion via microfluidic currents, microinjection of a spermatozoon into an oocyte, and subsequent embryo culture and monitoring, thus allowing widespread distribution of in vitro insemination by favoring affordability.

A method for the orientation of a sperm cell to determine cell differences due to size, mass, or density is used to distinguish X chromosome-bearing sperm cells from Y chromosome-bearing sperm cells and therefore have use in in-vitro and in-vivo fertilization procedures. The orientation of individual sperm cells is determined by measuring non-fluorescent light. The method uses one detector to measure the magnitude of fluorescence (for DNA (sex) measurement from the flat surface of the spermatozoon), and a second detector to measure the magnitude of refracted non-fluorescent light derived from a separate light source. The separate light source is derived from part of a phase contrast or Dark field optical system to provide orientation data. Importantly, all excitation and fluorescent light is excluded from the second detection system by band-pass optical filters thereby providing for a cleaner signal from the concave edge (no fluorescence signal from the flat surfaces of the spermatozoon).

The invention discloses a method for storing spermatophore of litopenaeus vannamei at low temperature. The method comprises the following steps of: acquiring the spermatophore, fixing the spermatophore, storing the spermatophore and dyeing spermatozoa. In the method, a culture layer for the spermatophore of the litopenaeus vannamei is prepared from 0.3 to 0.4 part of 1.8 to 3.0 percent self-prepared type I liquid rat tail collagen serving as a medium for contracting the culture layer, 0.3 to 0.4 part of culture solution of 2*1,640, 0.1 to 0.2 part of fetal calf serum in an American GIBCO company and 0.1 part of Matrigel (a soluble basilar membrane matrix) in an American Sigma company, wherein the culture layer is viscous at normal temperature, and can be solidified at the temperature of 40 DEG C and can wrap the spermatophore. The spermatophore is packaged in separate an epoxy resin (EP) tube at the normal temperature, the spermatophore is wrapped by the prepared culture layer, and the EP tube wrapped with the spermatophore is arranged in a refrigerator to be stored at the low temperature of 4 DEG C. The method has the characteristics of simplicity of operation, complete storage of a spermatophore structure, high survival rate of the spermatozoa, long retention time, stable effect of low-temperature storage and the like and is easy to popularize and apply. The retention time of the spermatophore is at least 3 months, and the survival rate of the spermatozoa is over 80 percent.

The present invention relates to a method for collecting high-concentration seminal fluid of scallop. Said method includes the following several procedures; incubation of high-quality parent scallop, preparation of suction head for sucking seminal fluid, collection of high-concentration seminal fluid and detecting vitality of collected spermatozoa. Said invention also provides the concrete requirements and steps of above-mentioned every procedure.

The present invention relates to biopolymer particles for preservation of spermatozoa, wherein the spermatozoa are embedded within the biopolymer particle. The present invention also regards a method for preservation, storage and controlled delivery/release of spermatozoa, and the use of the biopolymer particles according to the present invention in breeding.

An oocyte and embryo-positioning apparatus enables a plurality of oocytes, embryos or other cell specimens to be held and positioned for injection therein of fluid molecular reagents such as DNA, RNA, protein, cells, spermatozoa and cells; and removal of cells, fragments of cells, cytoplasm, nuclei and cellular organelles. The oocytes and embryos are kept separate from each other in open marked or unmarked well-compartments that are located in the culture container. Each well-compartment comprises one or more finger like structures that can position one oocyte or one embryo. The lanes between the digits of the fingers may be sloped allowing the oocytes or embryo to position at the narrowest and lowest point of the compartment. The method and oocytes and embryo-positioning apparatus of this invention includes a culturing container, such as a Petrie dish, in which the oocytes and embryos are held for micromanipulation. The Petrie dish preferably contains a plurality of the oocyte or embryo-holding finger like-structures which can be positioned in the Petrie dish in a predetermined pattern. For example, the well-compartments can be positioned in the Petrie dish as a strip of well-compartments between the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions, or in any other planned deployment. Marked well-compartments can be identified by letters or numbers or symbols.

The present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods for generating a subpopulation of spermatozoa enriched for capacitated spermatozoa, by exposure of a population of spermatozoa to a suitable temperature gradient, and retrieving the enriched subpopulation of spermatozoa for further applications, such as, for diagnosis or fertility treatments.

The present invention concerns the use of compositions and methods of regulating or evaluating fertility in an animal, in particular a mammal. In various embodiments of the invention, methods of contraception include inhibiting proteasome activity of a gamete, in particular spermatozoon. Proteasomal activity may be inhibited in vitro or in vivo. Inhibitors of the proteasome pathway include, but are not limited to small molecules, peptides, polypeptides (e.g., antibodies and the like) and affinity reagents that bind various components of the proteasome pathway (e.g., aptamers, etc.). In some embodiments, the activity of the proteasome pathway or the activity of a component in the proteasome pathway is inhibited by antibodies that bind and inhibit one or more components of the proteasome pathway.

Compositions and methods useful for processing animal semen for use in assisted reproduction. A composition, or colloid formulation, for separation of spermatozoa from a semen sample, the composition including at least one salt of an alkali metal and/or an alkaline earth metal, EDTA, a zwitterion buffer, silane-coated silica particles and water, the composition having a pH of 7.0-7.35 and an osmolarity of 300-345 mOsm. A method for preparing spermatozoa from a semen sample from a non-human animal by separating the spermatozoa from other semen constituents by centrifugation through a single layer of the composition, or colloid formulation. Also, a method for separating a sperm sub-population of interest from a semen sample from a non-human animal by providing a density gradient comprising at least two layers of the composition of the invention, each layer having a different density; separating the sperm sub-populations in the semen sample by centrifugation through the density gradient; and selecting the sperm sub-population of interest. Finally, spermatozoa prepared by these methods and the use of such spermatozoa in artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.