Claims
- 1. A method of transporting oocytes, comprising the steps of:
a. collecting oocytes from a female mammal; b. entraining oocytes in a fertilization medium; c. transferring oocytes in said fertilization medium into a straw; d. sealing said straw containing said oocytes; e. transferring at least one straw inside of an incubation element; f. establishing incubation conditions within said incubation element; g. sealing said incubation element; h. transporting said oocytes from said female mammal within said straw inside of said incubation element.
- 2. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, wherein said female mammal is selected from the group consisting of primates, humans, bovids, ovids, equids, swine, and dolphins.
- 3. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, wherein said fertilization medium comprises modified Tyrode's medium supplemented with 0.6 percent bovine serum albumin, 20 μg heparin per milliliter of Tyrode's medium, and a concentration of 5 milli-molar caffeine.
- 4. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, wherein between about 10 and about 15 of said oocytes are contained within about 50 micro-liters of said fertilization medium.
- 5. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, wherein said straw has heat sealable aperture elements.
- 6. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 5, wherein said straw has a interior volume of about 0.25 milliliters.
- 7. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, wherein said incubation element has sealable aperture elements.
- 8. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 7, wherein said incubation element comprises a glass tube.
- 9. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, wherein said incubation conditions comprise an atmosphere of 5 percent carbon dioxide in air and a temperature of 39 degrees Centigrade within said incubation element.
- 10. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of transferring sperm cells to said straw containing said oocytes in said fertilization medium.
- 11. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 10, wherein said step of transferring sperm cells to said straw containing said oocytes comprises establishing a concentration of sperm cells in said fertilization medium of about 1 million to about 2 million per milliliter of fertilization medium.
- 12. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of separating spermatozoa into enriched X-chromosome bearing and Y-chromosome populations.
- 13. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 12, further comprising the step of transferring separated sperm cells to said straw containing oocytes.
- 14. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 13, wherein said step of transferring separated sperm cells to said straw containing oocytes comprises establishing a concentration of said separated sperm cells in said fertilization medium of about 1 million to about 2 million per milliliter of fertilization medium.
- 15. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claims 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14 further comprising the step of transferring said straw containing said oocytes in said concentration of said sperm cells to said incubation element.
- 16. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 15, further comprising the step of establishing fertilization conditions within said incubation element.
- 17. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 16, wherein said step of establishing fertilization conditions within said incubation element comprises an atmosphere of 5 percent carbon dioxide in air at a temperature between about 37 degrees Centigrade and about 41 degrees Centigrade for a duration of about 18 hours to about 20 hours.
- 18. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 16, further comprising the step of transporting said oocytes in said fertilization conditions.
- 19. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 18, further comprising the step of fertilizing at least some of said oocytes during transport.
- 20. A method of fertilizing oocytes, comprising the steps of:
a. collecting sperm cells from a male mammal; b. transferring said sperm cells to a straw containing a plurality of oocytes in fertilization medium, wherein said oocytes are from a female mammal of the same species as said male mammal; c. sealing said straw containing said sperm cells and said oocytes; d. transferring said straw containing said sperm cells and said oocytes to the inside of an incubation element; e. establishing incubation conditions within said incubation element; f. sealing said incubation element; and g. fertilizing at least one oocyte in said straw.
- 21. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 20, wherein said female mammal is selected from the group consisting of primates, humans, bovids, ovids, equids, swine, and dolphins.
- 22. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 20, wherein said fertilization medium comprises modified Tyrode's medium supplemented with 0.6 percent bovine serum albumin, 20 μg heparin per milliliter of Tyrode's medium, and a concentration of 5 milli-molar caffeine.
- 23. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 20, wherein between about 10 and about 15 of said oocytes are contained within about 50 micro-liters of said fertilization medium.
- 24. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 20, wherein said straw has heat sealable aperture elements.
- 25. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 24, wherein said straw has a interior volume of about 0.25 milliliters.
- 26. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 20, wherein said incubation element has sealable aperture elements.
- 27. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 26, wherein said incubation element comprises a glass tube.
- 28. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 20, wherein said incubation conditions comprise an atmosphere of 5 percent carbon dioxide in air and a temperature of 39 degrees Centigrade within said incubation element.
- 29. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 20, further comprising the step of transferring said sperm cells to said straw containing said oocytes in said fertilization medium.
- 30. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 29, wherein said step of transferring sperm cells to said straw containing said oocytes comprises establishing a concentration of sperm cells in said fertilization medium of about 1 million to about 2 million per milliliter of fertilization medium.
- 31. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 21, further comprising the step of separating said sperm cells into enriched X-chromosome bearing and Y-chromosome populations.
- 32. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 31, further comprising the step of transferring separated sperm cells to said straw containing oocytes.
- 33. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 32, wherein said step of transferring separated sperm cells to said straw containing oocytes comprises establishing a concentration of said separated sperm cells in said fertilization medium of about 1 million to about 2 million per milliliter of fertilization medium.
- 34. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claims 29, 30, 31, 32, or 33 further comprising the step of transferring said straw containing said oocytes in said concentration of said sperm cells to said incubation element.
- 35. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 34, further comprising the step of establishing fertilization conditions within said incubation element.
- 36. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 35, wherein said step of establishing fertilization conditions within said incubation element comprises an atmosphere of 5 percent carbon dioxide in air at a temperature between about 37 degrees Centigrade and about 41 degrees Centigrade for a duration of about 18 hours to about 20 hours.
- 37. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 35, further comprising the step of transporting said oocytes in said fertilization conditions.
- 38. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 37, further comprising the step of fertilizing at least some of said oocytes during transport.
- 39. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 37, further comprising the step of removing fertilized oocytes from said straw.
- 40. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 37, further comprising the step of implanting said fertilized oocytes into a female mammal.
- 41. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 37, wherein said step of implanting said fertilized oocytes into a female mammal comprises implanting said fertilized oocytes into the same species of said female mammal as said male mammal.
- 42. A method of transporting oocytes as described in claim 37, wherein said step of implanting said fertilized oocytes into female mammal comprises implanting fertilized oocytes into a different species of said female mammal then said male mammal.
- 43. A mammal having predetermined sex produced according to claims 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, or 42.
- 44. A portable incubation system, comprising:
a. a straw configured to contain fertilization medium into which a plurality of oocytes from a female mammal and sperm cells from a male mammal are transferred; b. an incubator element configured to encapsulate said straw containing fertilization medium into said oocytes from said female and said sperm cells from said male mammal have been transferred; and c. an incubation environment maintained within said incubator element, comprising:
i. an incubation atmosphere of about 5 per cent carbon dioxide in air; and ii. a temperature between about 37 degrees Centigrade and about 41 degrees Centigrade.
- 45. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said mammal is selected from the group consisting of primates, humans, bovids, ovids, equids, swine, and dolphins.
- 46. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said fertilization medium comprises Tyrode's medium supplemented with 0.6 percent bovine serum albumin, 20 μg heparin per milliliter of fertilization medium, and a concentration of 5 millimolar caffeine.
- 47. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said plurality of oocytes from a female mammal comprises about 10 oocytes to about 15 oocytes per 50 microliters of fertilization medium.
- 48. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said sperm cells from said male mammal have a concentration of about 1 million to about 2 million per milliliter of said fertilization medium.
- 49. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said sperm cells comprise sperm cells separated on the basis of bearing an X-chromosome or bearing a Y-chromosome.
- 50. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said incubation element comprises glass tube.
- 51. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said incubation environment is maintained between about 18 hours and about 20 hours.
- 52. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, further comprising a transportation element to move said portable incubation system the distance between two locations.
- 53. A portable incubation system as described in claim 52, wherein fertilization of said oocytes from a female with said sperm cells from said male mammal within said fertilization medium contained by said straw occurs during transport of said portable incubator system.
- 54. A portable incubation system as described in claim 53, wherein said two locations comprise a sperm cell separation facility having a first location and a female mammal into which fertilized oocytes are implanted having a second location.
- 55. A portable incubation system as described in claim 44, wherein said a straw configured to contain fertilization medium into which a plurality of oocytes from a female mammal and sperm cells from a male mammal are transferred has a volume of 0.25 milliliters.
- 56. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes, comprising the steps of:
a. collecting oocytes from a female mammal; b. entraining a plurality of oocytes in a fertilization medium containing both essential and non-essential amino acids: c. inseminating said oocytes with sperm cells collected from a male mammal of the same species as said female mammal; d. establishing inseminated oocytes in incubation conditions within an incubation element; and e. fertilizing at least one of said oocytes.
- 57. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes as described in claim 56, wherein said fertilization medium is selected from the group consisting of chemically defined medium, SOF, or TALP supplemented with Eagles Medium.
- 58. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes as described in claim 56, wherein said female mammal is selected from the group consisting of primates, humans, bovids, ovids, equids, swine, and dolphins.
- 59. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes as described in claim 56, wherein said non-essential amino acids have a concentration in said fertilization medium are further supplemented with essential amino acids.
- 60. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes as described in claim 56, entraining a plurality of oocytes in a fertilization medium containing both essential and non-essential amino acids comprises entraining about 10 oocytes to about 15 oocytes in about 50 microliters of fertilization medium.
- 61. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes as described in claim 56, wherein said step of establishing oocytes in incubation conditions within said incubation element comprises an atmosphere of 5 percent carbon dioxide in air at a temperature between about 37 degrees Centigrade and about 41 degrees Centigrade for a duration of about 18 hours to about 20 hours.
- 62. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes as described in claim 56, wherein said step of inseminating said oocytes with sperm cells collected from a male mammal of the same species as said female mammal comprises establishing a concentration of said separated sperm cells in said fertilization medium of about 1 million to about 2 million per milliliter of fertilization medium.
- 63. A method of in vitro fertilization of oocytes as described in claim 56, wherein said sperm cells are separated on the basis of bearing an X-chromosome or bearing a Y-chromosome.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/253,787, filed Nov. 29, 2000 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/253,785, filed Nov. 29, 2000, each hereby incorporated by reference herein.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US01/45237 |
11/29/2001 |
WO |
|