Tubes for frozen embryo storage - contg. culture, cryoprotective and osmotic media sepd. by gas bubbles

摘要

Tubes for storing frozen embryos (e.g. of cows, sheep or goats) comprise the following elements, counting in sequence from one end to the other: (a) a stopper; (b) a culture medium; (c) a gas mixt.; (d) the embryo in a cryoprotective medium (I) which penetrates into the cells of the embryo; (e) a gas bubble; (f) a soln. of at least one water-miscible substance (II) which is nontoxic and does not penetrate the cells of the embryo but produces sufficient osmotic pressure to induce diffusion of (I) out of the cells; (g) a gas bubble; and (h) a stopper. The arrangement must be such that, on thawing, the embryo in (I) is brought into direct contact with the soln. of (II). More specifically, the gas bubble (e) moves to end (h) on thawing, so that elements (d) and (f) come into contact. The tubes are useful for embryo transplantation, allowing the embryo to be inserted directly into the host without further treatment.