CONTAINER ARRANGEMENT AND
METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING EQUINE
SEMEN
R1~.ATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
This application is basod on U.S. provisional patent
application Scr. Nos. 60/066,925, filed Nov. 2$. 1997, and
ti0/072,74b. filed lan. 27. 1998. the entire disclosures of
which are incacpocated herein by mference_
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to 8 thermally
insulated transport container arsangcment and tn~hod foe
using same to h3aspoct equine semen. Mare speci5cally, the
present invention relate to an inexpensive, solf-contained,
thermally insulated. disposable, rcfiigaatcd transport con-
tains acrangenxnt that can greatly eattcnd the length of time
over which the spermatozoa of equine semen can be msio-
tained motile and fertile. and thus render it possible to
cffcrtivciy transport this type of material ova long dis-
tADCCS.
BACKGROUND OF THE IIVVBNTION
Ttattsporting semen (gamplasm), e.g., equine oe canine
semen. is beneficial to brocdars for several reasons. Shipping
semen is less costly than transporting female hoses or dogs
to an unfamiliar facility. Stress and risk of disease are
minimized when female horses or dogs can remain at home.
Further. using artificial insemination allows a stallion to
service more marts than he could using flatiual service. and
allows the stallion to continue to show err pafoem during the
breeding season. When shipped semen is handled proparly
Pr'~~~Y ~a those achieved using natural sec
vice. Scmcn destined foe aanspoct is eolledod from a malt,
examined and ~cooted for shipment. The davelq~t of
conventional systems allowing controlled oaoling has been
instrumental. The advantages of using cooled semZen malcr: it
a valuable addition to breeding pavgnams and has been used
to increase the gendic pool in many breeds.
However. numacous faaoc~s influence pregnancy rafts
achieved when mares arc boned with transported.. cooled
stallion semen. For instance. sperm are very sensitive to
many environmental factors. including ttmpeta0ure. light.
physical trauma. and a variety of chemicals. Any fadoe that
impacts the ability of sperm to resist cavironmeatally-
induced damage well adversely affect fa'tllity aclniwed when
using cooled transported semen. Semen must be handled
from collection to insemination in such a manna as to not
shock nor damage the spcsm.. ff oollcdion or storage devices
arc oontamirmtod by badcria. chemicals, err even soap
residue. the survivubiiity of the sperm odl; can be severely
diminished. Proper tempe<ahtrc control of semen prior to
cooling and prior oo inscmInation is czndel. For example, ff
semen is initially mixed with tattcndrt that is too cod a too
warm. damage will lilocly ooanr.
Mares will ovulate 24 to 48 hours before the end of heat
and pregnancy rafts from cooled stallion semta arc the
highest when mares are inseminated wlthia 2d hours fol-
lowing xmcn collection. Some stallion semen is still highly
viable up to 48 hours following collection. Semen trans-
ported and stored for up to 72 hours may appear to have
good motility. but fertilization capabilities arc typically poor.
Thus. when it is required to dransport equine semen samples
ovcx loug distances or even overseas. it is typically ncccs-
sacy to maintain the motility and fertility of the spermatozoa
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
z
for 48 hours, at the very minimum. and ideally foe nwre than
72 hours, in o~rdcr that samples reach its destination and can
be effectively used- However, until the development of the
present invention. it has been virtually impossible, when
using conventional postal/courirr scxvices. to achieve this.
More specifically, although semen apec;imcns can be trans-
poctod far such prolonged periods of time if special motor-
ized nc6cigeration units arc used. the coats of such apparatus
and the weight penalties inaca~ed when air mail/frciight is
o involved- are prohibitive. Thus. there has been a long felt
aced far an incxpeasive and disposable container that is
self-contained (viz.. passively cooled) and suffeicntly light
to enable ready dispatch by conventional ddiveryhnail
services.
Oae example of a passively cookd, self-contained trans-
portation container. that has been proposed to transport
equine semen is disdosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530.816 issued
to Douglas-Hamilton on 3u123. 1985. In this aQangemcnt.
whicf~ has been noarlCeted under the name FquitaincrT~. the
t spociman is enclosed In a plastic bag and placed In a metal
cup is a manner wherein it is aandwlehed between bags of
liquid. such as water, which act as so called tttcimal ballast.
Thc lower portion of the oontaina is filled with a ~frigaant
can filled with ict or gdaninizod toe. A thernnat insulating
; layer, made of a wlcanizod robber. is disposed between the
rcfriga~ant (ice) and the metal cup (made of cop~pa~ shoot
'hi" thicfG for ale) in which the sample and the thermal
ballast bags am disposed- The '816 patent discloses that the
oQti.mum steady state tcmperattue is dose to. but slightly
grcatrr than. 0° G. and is a tempCrature range of from 4° C.
to 10° G When the seamen spoc:imen, which is enclosed in a
plastic bag, 3s plaaod in the moral cup, it is allowed m cool
at a rate of 0.3° Gmin until the tet>ipa'aturc of the specimen
rcad~es about S° G. it may be staved for about 30 hours.
Spmmatozoa from most animal species are suse~'ble to
irreversible damage if exposed to a sudden drop in
t~mpaadu~, also ~nav~ra~ as "cold shock" Tt is known that
stallion spermatozoa arc moan susceptible to cold shock than .
bovines ovine, or po~c~cinc spermatozoa. CoM shock is gen-
erally oonsiderod to be the reutlt of rapid cooling ffotn 20°
G to 8° C_ It is mown that semen ran be coolest relatively
quickly from about 37 ° C_ (99° F ) down to about 20° G,
but
most be slow aoolod at a rate of .OS C°/min fram 20° C. to
5° G (47° F). The above dcsaribed and other shipping
containers have bona developed which pucpoit to cool
stallion semen at a cored. par~an'bed rate. Generally. these
conventionally available ooaminas gcnaally cool semen
over a 10 hour period, and hold the sern~cn at S° G (47° F ).
it is suspodcd that the coding rate adtievod by these devices
is, is at least a artain tcmpa~aatee range. too rapid. and
undaaabk "cold shocY' frequeatty occurs t0 a poraon Of a
se>ixat spodmcn_ Dutiring the development of the present
invention. however. it was disoovctrd than after the tem-
peraau~e of callccxed semen has fallen to about 1S° G, the
sensitivity of the se:>aea to cold sbodc is heig~teflai In
overioolang this fact. it is believed that oomrcntionally
available aontaincrs undesirably reduce the viabiluy of
semen samples transpocted/stored. therein.
Of the factors believed to iu~uence the length of time over
which viable semen specimens can be successfully
transpoated. water is partIcatlarly touc and exposure to even
small amounts of moisture is highly injurious to semen. The
fad that the preferred refrigerant disclosed in the ' 816 patent
is ice or a mixduc of ice and gelatin wafer. is also suspected
to have an adverse effect on the longevity of a semen sample
transported therein. pactieularly after the ice melts and
assumes a fluid liquid form. A drawback with this prior art
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
3
arrangement is that it tends to promote the aattDOxtlation of
substantial amounts of oondeasation. suds as water, which
not only aggravates the problems associated with the spilt/
extended semen (causing objectionable odnrs_ and providing
an environment in which various types of nua~oarganisms
essay spawn and render it very difficult to maintain aseptic
conditions), but. as mcationod above. also effectively func-
tions as a powerful spcrznicida Accordingly, during trans-
pod this condcasate can seep into the contains in which the
semen is stored. and present a suious risk of catastrophic
damage to the semen sample. It is also noted that plastic
thermal ballast bags of the kind disclosed is the contains of
the ' 816 patent are filled with a colored liquid that has a high
thermal inertia (higft heat c~padty) as does water. Leakage
of these containers. which may occur dozing a rough transit.
and/or poor stocagcfiandling by the end user prior to dis-
position in the container. also ptzscats the same pmoblcm
because oondcnsate tends to accttmttlate.
One attempt to improve upon the azrangGineat disclosed
in the '816 patent took the form of a foamed plastic
container that was marketed under the name Equine
F~tpccssT''z. This arrangement providod a simple plug-like
door and a con~ma~ially avaiiable bottle: type of refrigerant
pack that was placed in the coataincx on cop of a tha~nal
insulating layer which was interposed between the re6riger-
ant pack and the samples. Howevtr, this estrangement proved
to be unable to oooi and maintain the sample in the required
condition for tnorc than about 45 harts. as is shown In test
results reported her~~n
Accordingly. there remains a naed for a container that
allows for transposing samples of equiac semen over long
distances while at the same time maintaining the motrlity
and fertility of the transpo:tod spa~ma<ozoa for at least 48
hours without the attendant disadvantages of conventionally
avaiiablc containers and methods.
SiTMrIIARY OF THE I1WF.N'1'ION
It is an objux of the pttrsent inve~ion to provide an
arrangensez<t that castles the sltipmant of oqttine sGtnen ova
long distances. including shipment ovorseas, whcrda delays
ofuen ocasr. e.g.. at customs and at any of multiple transfers
between different modes of iz'anspart
1t is a finther object of the prcseat invention to pmvidc an
arrangctsscnt that enables an equine scmca sample to be
mainiaincd in a motile sad fattqe condition for spermatozoa
for a prolonged period of at least three days from the time
of collcaron.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an
arrangement whic4 enables the ernaotnic aansport of a
highly dcgtadablc malarial. such as equine semen. in a
disposable. totally sdf~ontained. passively cooled. incat-
pcnsivc contains- that has essentially no maviug pants. and
that is not equipped with elaborate the~ostafically con-
trolled coodiag arrangemcats or the L7ce. four periods of time
approxiusatiag at least about tlscee sad a third days.
It is yd another object of the prescat iavcntion to provide
an aaangcnncnt that is both disposable. capable of rcaivlng
approval from the USDA-APl3IS, and which can be peop-
afy sealed and used far intereoadaental aaasit, f~ examQlt.
The above and other objocis arc alished by a
container arrangctncnt for transporting semen, such as
equine semen. comprising:
at least oar semen storage device or container for storing
equine semen;
a rigid foamed plastic container comprising:
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
4
an Lttaior with a boaom;
a Boor located on the bottom of the interior,
at least one support member contoured to support the at
least one semen storage device;
an upper end; and
an upper edge locatod at the upper end and containing
a recess therein extending continuously thereabout
for t~ectiving at least one ridge extending from a lid.
the lid for dosing the upper end of the rigid foamed
plastic oonralnrr whoa It is opea_ wherein the lid is
formed with at least one ridge that extends ooutinu-
ously about a lower surface of the &d lxnoimate as
edge of the rid, wha~cin the at least one ridge is
adapted to be received in the mess of the rigid
foamed plastic containrr in a manner that faros a
s sul when the lid is pcasod onto the upper end of the
rigid foaayod plastic container;
a rtfrigetant pact oontainiag a solid foam coolant and
a sc~acating means disposed m the interior of the rigid
foamed prastiic container for separating the at least one
semen a device from the
limiting the cooling rate oaf the at leash~one semen
storage device. when eoataining an oguinc semen
sample, to ao more than about Q.20° CJmin over at
least the tenuperaaurc range of about 38° C. w about S°
' C_
The pccscat invea0ioa is also dirodcd to a method for
trauspoering semen. such as oquine settuen. comprising the
s~tcps oaf:
mixing an extender solution with a sample of oquinc
semen to form an extendod sennen macturc, wherein the
extender solution has a pH and an osmolality, each of
which bas been pncviously adjusted to within a respec-
tive predetcrnnined range;
introducing at !exert a portion of the extendod semen
mizhtrc into at least one aemcu storage device and
r~ppin8 the semen storage device;
placing the at least one semen storage device on at least
one support zoembcr pt~o tried thercfarc in the bottom -
of a rigid foamed plastic oontaina~, w6ereln cacti sup..
port mwnbQ is contoured to accept at least one semen
storage device;
Placing a potted thamoc,egtdatiag plate in the rigid
foamed plastic e~ontainer in a magna which partitions
the interior of the container into a lower conrpattmcnt
in which the semen storage device is disposed. and an
upper aomg~attarnt in which a tdtigaant pael~ con-
taInlng a solid foam coolant is disposal. wherein the
thetmoregula0ing place is foei~d of a rigid foamed
plastic, and vve~ays the at lczst one support member
foeraed in the bottom of the rigid foamod plastic
container in a manner that doses each pat so as to
restrict fluid oommuni,cation between the upper and
loafer dtambas;
applying a lid to the rigid foamad plastic container in a
manner that closes an upper end of the rigid foamed
p)as:ic container. whar3n the lid cota~sCS a rigid
foamed ptasric material. at fecal one scaling rib which
extends about a lower surface of the lid that is snugly
reccivad in a rtes which euteods oootinuousty about
the spa end of the tig3,d foamAd plastic container, gad
enclosing the rigid foamed p)astic coataina with the lid
dosed in place in a oorcugatod cardboard box.
F~~'~ the present Invention is directed to a container
arrangement comprising:
a single couvgated cardboard blank adapted to be folded
into a double-walled boa having a single site of entry;
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
J
a plastic strip embedded in the cardboard blank and
extending a full length of the blank:
first and second holes formed in the blank in a manner
wherein the first and second holes pass through the
plastic strip, and are located proxinoate first and second
cods of the cardboard blanlt; and
the first and second bolts are loeatod proximate one
another when the double-walled corntgated cardboard
blank is folded into its boa configuration in a manna
that pcrraits a lead to be passed therethrough to enable
the double-walled comtgated box to be locked against
unauthorized entry.
The combination of sonic or all of the above-mentioned
features exhibiu is effective for storing/transporting scrota
for up to at least 77 hours. In addition., upon arrival at its
destination. the amount of time that is roqt>incd bciwten
opening the foataGd plastic container and actually injecting
the semen during an insemination is minimal. Thus, the
present invention. casurcs that the spermatozoa arc deliv-
ered to the actual poird of use with minimum degradation.
Additional objects and attendant advantages of the present
invention wdl be set forth. in part. in the dasrription that
follows. or may be learned from practitdng or using the
present invention. The objets and advantages may be
realized and attainod by rncans of the iastntmcntalita and
combinations particularly pointed out in throughout this
dcsaiption and the appended dnims. It is to be undarsiood
that the foregoing general description and the fallowlng
detailed description are exemplary and aplanatory only and
arc not to be viewed as being r~otiotive of the invention. as
~d_
BR~F DESCR~1'ION OF THE DItAwINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are iinaocporated in.
and constitute a part of the spac~eation, Illustrate embodi-
ments of the prrscnt invention and. togdha with the
dcssipaon, save to explain the printxpks of the pt-taent
invention.
FIG. 1 is a schunatic side sxtioaal view showing an
embodiment of the rigid foamed plastic coruaiacr of the
present invention in a fully assembled state.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing details of the rigid
foamed plastic container. which forms a vital part of the
invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan vices of tbc ritgid foamed plastic contains
depicting the layout of the suppoet/patttmon meaobcrs. sad
showing a recess err channel whldt mopa~aGcs with a lid.
FIG. A is a side seatianal view taken along section line
IV-IV of FIG. 3, showing details of the interior of the rigid
foamed plutic oonsainQ and the support/pmuhtiwn metnbax.
which are used to maintain at least one sanen stowage device
in position during transit_
FIG. S is a perspective vices of the lid that is usod to dose
the rigid foamod plastic container depicted in FIGS. 1~.
FIG. 6 is a plan vicar showing the underside of the !id
depicted in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a sodional vices tahcn along sociioa lint
VII-VII of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is an end vitro of the lid sbowing the provision oaf
recesses. which facilitate the opening of the rigid foamed
oontainor upon arrival as a destination.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a potted thermoreguhting
plate, which is disposed in the rigid foamed plastic coataina
to define a lower storage chnrnber and an upper refriga~ant
chamber.
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
6
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the thermaregulating place
depicted in FIG. 9.
PIG. ll is a sectional view taken along section line
XI XI of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the configuration of a
cardboard blank. which can be folded into a double-walled
box stnactuac that is used to house the rigid foamed plastic
contains-with-lid arrangement shown in FIG. i.
DfiTAn Fn DESC~21P1TON OF PR~~tRED
EMBODIhsENTS
All patents. patent applications and litaatures cited in this
des<xiptlon are incorporated herein by refefcncc In their
entirety. In the case of Inconsistencies, the present
disclosure, including definitions, will prevail.
The present invention is directed to a relatively
inexpensive. passively cooled, transport container
arrangement/system for ovezteoming the di>hculty of main-
taining the required motdity/fertdity/~,iabtltt' y of speu~to-
zoo for a time suf&dently long enough to permit the samples
to be transported ova long distances. inducting sAippiag to
overseas matlocts_ In other words. to ship such a sample to
distal marbct sites, ii is neeasaty. even with modern
transport. oo n~aiatain spermatozoa mutilityffatilhy for 72
hours , a more. Duting the development of the present
invention. ft was c~atltod that these were scvaal factors that
had a dear bearing on the roqtia~od longevity. and that must
be considatd to aduevc the rcquind length of transport_
ability time.
Among these differzat factoes. the amount of tutu: that is
wasted at the beginning and cad of tbc nanspoctation of
semen specimens was recognized to be important. The time
required to move a serncn sample to a bends. add extender
prior to placing it in a transport container. as well as the time
for other operations relating to unpacloing and p~ration
for insemination, must be taben IMo oonsidaation.
Moreover one of the measures that is talmn into account
in tha practice of the p~sen< invention is the use of an -
c~tteadcr the pH and osmolality of w6idt are balanced prior
to mixing with a semen sale. This reduoa the time for
whidr the semen is czposed to de~mental ia8uenecs such
as light. atmospheric moisture. and the like. and enables the
semen to be placed in a container or sem,cn storage device
as quickly as is practical. Unextendcd semen, maintained at
it's collection tcmp~anac (99° F) for over 15 minutes
r~ ~ y sparm motility at ?A hours.
Thercfoac, semen must be oollactcd., 5ltered~ analyzed for
volume. motility, and oonecrtirabion. mixed with a suitable
exoeader, and placed in the a sfitippung container wixhin 15
minutes_
Use of an extendcx solution with semar proccsscd for
storage and aaaspart is aritirxl in its sutviva6~lity P.ztender
provides nutrients to the apexm cells and oomtains antibiotics
to desaoy harmful g~use of reduaod viability. it
is believed that manes should be insemimtcd with 1 to 2
billion sperm cells and a volume of not m~oe~e than 40 ml of
semen. If a stallion Gas a suffu~cnt ooneentration. the ejacu-
late may be spilt and several s>dpmems otxalnod from a
single collection. A further feadae is the use of an extender
that contains both sucrose and glucose. Whle the exact
degree and mechanism by which the use of this type of dual
sugar cztendcr is effearve in prolonging the life of the sperm
during transit has sot been determined with any certainty. is
preferred ova conventional single sugar types of extenders.
The amount of catcadcr used is also irupostant. The pro-
f~cd amount of dilution with the present invention is
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
greater than with t6c prior art, and can be as high as 6:1 or
more (c.g.. l0a). By way of example. a dual sugar semen
extender that can be used in acoordancx with the present
invention may be fotmtdated. without limitation, as follows:
Nonfat dry milk solids 24~D g~
(from Sa~ac, c-8.)
265 ~xn
~o,o ~
Pbtassitm Hwicillim G t,000,U00
(si~tm R779~) wms
nm~~ sv (s~~ tr.~2~2a) t ~
Cell eultw~e tested wa4ecq.e. to
(dibca x15230-147) 1000 ee
After thoroughly ttiixing the above ingarodicnts, the pH
and the osmolality arc adjusted using an aqueous solution of
sodium bicarbonate until the pH falls in the approximate
range of about 6.85-7.0 and the osmolality exhibits a value
in the approximate range of about 350-365 mOsmA.
Altcrnativdy. it is possible to add a suitabtc amount of dry
sodium carbonate powder or aystals directly to the about
formulation once the appropriate amount is acauatsty deter-
mincxl.
Examples of antibiotics that may be added to an extender
used in accardanoe with the prindples of the present laveo-
lion include. without limitation, penicillin G, streptomycin,
gcntamicin sulfate. ticarillin, poIymyxin B sulfate. de. Peni-
cillin G typically contains appro>~mately 1600 units per
milligram; thus, a typical quantity is about 625 mg. For each
gram of solid material is used., app~roatinoatcly 1 cc of water
is suba-aered from that which is required to product the final
volume of 1000 cc. The indusion of gram positive and gram
negative antibiotics in the xmcn extender solution enhances
the success of the insemination that is eamod out after
transportation to a destination. As previously mentioned.
both of these types of microorganisms are found in the
reproductive orals of male and female hays. and the
prolIfaation of such contaminating bacteria during transit
can tout a dcttimental c$oct oa the insemination. as well as
lead to an abortion inducting Infection in the rtcipiutt mare.
In addition, adjustment of the pH and osmolaliry of the
semen cztcnda solution prior to tnixutg with the scaoca has
the dear advantage of reducing the amount of time ova
which the delicate semen sample is exposed to deleterious
effects.
Possibly the single most critical factor affecxiag tttc
motility, fertility. viability. and longevity of spermatozoa of
semen samples is the cooling raft of a xtnen sample once
placed in a transport container In particular. the present
lnVentlOn 1S based. in part on the observation that semen
samples that are protected against cold shock. and that are
stored at a reduced tr_mpcraturt. tend to survive longer than
samples that arc maintained at room temperature. Although
it has been recognized that slow cooling rafts may be
important in maintaining the longevity of a xmeo sample.
the phases of the cooling have heretofore not been
addressed. Rapidly cooling In a tconperawre range of about
20 to about 15° C. has little deaimental effect on the
motility/fetti.tity of spermatozoa. However, below about IS°
C.. the rate of cooling has a marked injurious effcct_ In fan.
it has been discovered during the development of the present
invention that a cooling rate of less that about 0.20° CJmin
after the temperature of the sample has lowered to about 15°
C., is essential to prolonging the effective insemination life
of equine semen samples. Even slower cooling rafts after the
tcmpcraturc is tainted to about 15° G. c.g.. preferably ao
more than about 0.10° CJmin. most preferably about 0.01°
CJmin. provide betty chances for maintaining the motility/
fettiiiry of spuinatozoa over long periods of time. 'the
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
8
achievement of such a slow talc of cooling, followed by a
prolonged maiatcnancc of an optimum transport tempera-
ture (c.g.. prrefaably about 5° C. to about 10° C_, most
preferably about 7.5° C. to about 8.5° C.) was found to be
extremely difficult to achieve in a passively cooled
cnvironmcnt. i.e., without the use of powered r~cfrigcrating
devices. Effects to insulate the sperm sawpies from the
rcfriEaant in a~drs to slow the cooling rate. while allowing
the a&cicnt use of the ncfrygetattt over a pcvioaged period,
often met with failure. The task was rendered even more
di~cult when attctztpting to adrieve an economically viable
cost per unit by using a simple. inexpensive. disposable.
sdf-contained. passive refrigerant package.
To overcome this problem. the present invention prefer-
ably uses a refrigaantJoooling pack as a coolant_ Although
any suitable coolant or refrigerant capable of achieving a
cooling rate within the above parametrss rosy be used in
accordance with the principles of the present invention, a
solid foam-type coolant was found to be preferred. This type
of coolant permits the overall cooling rate to be lowered
bdow that possible with phase drangc types of coolants/
refrigerants such as ice. An eatamplc of a preferred coolant
that can be used in acoo~rdanoe with the principles of the '
prexeut invention is a foam brick coolant (MCC FPP31.
commercially available from the Midlands Chemical
Comparry)_ This preferred coolant was found to exhibit the
slowest thawing, and is capable of remaiining colder for
longs parlods of time to a untidy of other types
of refrigerants tested.. Macoovex. the preferred coolant con-
twins a foatued material that Is ooostantly solid. and does not
undergo any pacepoible solid-liquid phase change as heat is
absorbed thereby. In other words. the prefeaed solid foam
refrigerant is unlike fmzen water, for which the drangc from
a solid state (i.e., ice) to a molten state (ice., water) follows
a scenaiie that reeds certain physical chemical character
istics of water; na>neiy. the solid-to-liquid transition of water
first exhibits a powerful heat absatblng capacity as the ice
converts to water, followed by a secondary, much reduced
heat absorbing capadty as the cold water absorbs mart heat.
The only shortcoming found with the MCC PPP31 refrig-
erant pack was that ii rrquirod a slightly longer period to
freeze than other eammacialty available red'rigerants ttstcd.
While capable of providing the critical cooling rata the
MCC FPP31 solid foam refrigerant was also found to exhibit
another advantage. If the pack In which the foam brick is
cndoscd is aomprotnised doting trsesit, the problem of tout
liquid water running loose in the container is totally climi-
natcd.
When the prefelrod coolant pack is combined with a
thumoregulating plate that separates the rc5rigcrant &am the
semen samples, it is possible to e:nhanoc the full potertial of
the present im~ention. The plate may be patted so as to
permit relatively free insertion of an operator's fingers to
permit ready removal of the plate_ In addition. ebbing. in the
form of s<tpporct/partltion members, may be iacaporatod on
the inside bottom of a rigid foewed plastic oontainc to dose
off the ports and prevent unres~icted Buid ooauntrnication
between the respective chambers stotiag the semen sample
(s) and the redrigetant pacJc. Any suitable mataiah thiclatess
and density of the thamore:grrlabag plate made of any
suitable material may be used to control the amount of heat
that is transferred to the solid foam refrigaanbooolant pack
(to cause cooling), to prevent the spermatozoa from being
cooled at an undesirably excessive rate. Because the pro-
fetred solid foam cooling pack exhr~its a 8aaer exrrve of heat
absorption versus temperature. ix., it does not undergo a
phase dumge with a concomitant large change: in heat
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
y
capacity. it was discovered that the ported thcnoQOrcgttlating
plate can be thinner than the plates used to prntca sperma-
tozoa is peter art devices that utillzcd solid-to-liquid phase
change coolants. A thinner ported thcmvoregulating plate
also prevents over insulation. which otherwise tends to
defeat effective cooling once the coolant has completely
converted to the liquid phase. with its lower cooling capac
ity_
Further. the lid of the rigid foamed plastic container may
be fo~-mod from auy suitable material, e.g.. a rigd foamed
plastic such as polystyrene or polytuethane. In aooordanee ,
with the present invention. such a lid is fob with at least
one continuous nb that extends about the periphery of the
lower side of the lid. This nb is estranged to be received in
a recess that continuously extends about an upper edge at the
upper cad of the rigid foarzxd plastic oontaina. The sealing
effect of this lid design is b~li~evad to be of in~ottanoe in the
overall effed'rvencss of the present invention.
Uneapx~ly the present invention diminatcs the protr
lctn of condensation formation within the container during
transit Without wishing to tx bound by the following
theory, it appears that the slaw cooling rate that results from
the use of a solid foam ooolaet (MCC FPP31), in combi-
nation with the sealing effax provided by the rrbJt~oess at
the lidlcoMaincr interface. is respottstblc far the overall
success of the pceseat invention. In various other compara-
tive arrangements that were tested. It was found that placing
the coolant above the samples induced the problem of
condensation formation. which tended to leak down into the
area of the stored sample containers. Of course. such an
arrangement produced the real dangrr that water (viz.. the
condcnsatc) would seep into an impa~fodly sealed oonfaina
(s) and cause at least partial spoitxge of the samplt(s)
contained therein.
A fmtf~a factor that is believed to oontnbute to the
success of the prtaeut invention rrsida in the xmrn stoeage
device in which the semen samples an stocod duriutg transit.
It is critical that the amen storage devices be both st~k
and free of my chemicals cr oomQotmds that have sptxml-
ddal activity. or that othatwix could haves any kind of
negative effect on the longevity of spamatowa stotrd
therein. In accordance with the principles of peexnt
invention. prcfarcd semen storage devices include. without
limitation. sta-ilc plastic syringas or free standing tubes
made of polypropylene with caps. Use of such seen
storage devices in accordance wild the present invention
requires selection of a size (volume handling capaaty) that
is su~cient to acc~o~mmodatc a large quantity of exieodrr that
may be :tided therein in proportion to the quantity of semen
thereby pecmibting the mixing of an iaaeascd volume of
extender with a given volume of spermatozoa/semea. 'Ihe
beneficial effects of using larger syringes and relatively
greater volumes of sugar eoteader include, without
limitati~, (1) a smaller surface area for a gluten vdume of
senier4 which attenuates the ooollng rate of the eontwts, and
(2) the imrnediatc ux of the maraca! for insemination upon
the opening of the oontaineG Prcfeaod sins lndude. without
limitation. from about 10 ml to about 225 m4 with a more
prcfatod size being about 50 mL
Flut6cr, it is (mown that exposure to radiation in the
visible light. ultraviolet or x-ray rattgcs can have a deal
tnental effect on the viability of coded semen. To ovanomc
this probdcm. the semen storage device can be opaque or
fitted with a disposable. ranovable, and form-5nnng pr~otcc~
rive slecvcJwbc that is capable of preventing harmful light.
UV or z-ray radiation from pea~rating the semen storage
device and reaching the contents thertin. The foem-fitting
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
lU
sleeve may be tnadC of any suitable material or combiaatioa
of materials so long as it is capable of blocking harmful
radiation from reaching the semen stared within the scmco _
storage device. 1n a preferred embodiment, the form-fitting
sleeve is s tube or cyliadec that is disposed around the semen
stooge device and has a re$cctive fad layer acted to the
inner and outer sides o~f the tube_ Unexpectedly. it has been
discovered that use of a form-fttting sleeve is advantageous
because it further aLtcnuatcsJslows the cooling rate of the
stored semen during t<anspost.
Further, as extender sciatica is preferably added to dilute
a ae~a sample contained the sanw storage device of the
present invention. As mentioned above. use of an extender
nahanccs longevity of a sperm's motility; provides vital
nutrients, inQeases the volume of the inseminate thereby
allowing for tbc insemination of more than one mart, helps
prrotects spermatozoa from cable environmental changes
that occur while cooling (including thermal shock and toxic
materials that pttoduoed upon the death a~f a spermatozoa).
and reduces bacterial ooatamination of the sperm. The
amount of dilution with an exteada is preferably about 3: i
to about 10:1, more preferably about 4:1, most preferably
about 6:1 (v/v). Within this rangac, dte cascade effoa. which
can lQil an entire initially viable semen sample, has been
found to be g~t~catly reduced err eliminated. Preferably, the
extr:ndcr contain at least two diffa~eat sugars. which is
believed to have a positive effect on spermatozoa longevity.
Further, because both gram positive and gram negative
microorganisms ace found is the rcpcoduetive tracts of
stallions and mares. an antibiotic may be added to the
cztr..ad~rs to promote suo~ssful insemination cazzied out
aftcxcransport It has beta realized that sWnea contaminating
gram positive and gram negative bsci~a prolIfa~atc during
storage and traaspoct, and poaeotially not only diminish the
viability of the spermatozoa, but also may lead to abortion
lactating infections in recipient mores.
More specifically the prcseat invention s~ida in a con- , _
tamer attangemcnt/systaa for traaspocting equine semen
oompcising:
at least one plasdic syringe or polypcnpyleae tube with cap
containing equine semen; a aontaincr made of a rigid
foamed plastic mstaiah the rigid foamed plastic coa-
tainer including a support sttueritre for supporting the at
least one plastic syringe or polypeopyleae tube;
a lid foi dosing an open upper end of the contai.na, the
lid bciag farmers with ai least oat ridge which ca:tcads
ooatinuously about a lower surfioe of the lid proximate
as edge of the lid. the ridge being adapted to be
received la a recess which extends continuously about
an upper edge of the rigid foamed plastic containar in
a manacr whidr forms a sail whey the lid is pressed
onto the rigid foamed plastic container;
a refrigerant pact coatainlag a solid foam coolant; and
a scpmatiag means disposed is fit rigid foamed plastic
oontainar fat separating the at least one plastic syringe
or porypcnpyiene tube from the trfrigQaat pack. and
for limiting the oooLIag rate of the syringe to no mole
than about o.20° C./mtn. pc~faab~ty no mocC than about
a_lo° CJmia. most prefacably about ool ° CJmin. is
a tempuature range of about 15° C. to about 5° C.
1n this caobodimcnt. the separating means compcists a
posed themnoregulating plait dispoaod in the interior of the
rigid foamed plastic container to separatx a lower chamber
in which the support memba~s (which also salve as partition
members) are formed and Iu which the plastic syringc(s)
andloc polypropylene tubc(s) is st~ppoeted. and an upper
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
chamber in which the refrigerant pack containing the solid
foam coolant is disposed. the therraoregulating plate having
first and second ports formed therein at opposite ends of the -. ,
thcrmorcgulating plate, the first and second ports being
arranged to overlay a support/partition member. and thus be
closed in a manner which rcstrids fluid communication
between the upper and lower chambers.
In this preferred embodiment. the semen sample is diluted
with an extender solution containing sucrose. glucose. dry
skim milk. and pveforably at least two selocud antibiotics- ,
one being effective against gram positive bacteria and the
other being effective against gam negative bsd~eris_ 'Ihe
semen sample is inducted into a syringe which preferably
holds from about a 10 ml to about a 225 ml aliquot. mare
preferably about a 50 ml aliquot, of extender solution. 'Ibe
semen sample is diluted at the very least with about 3 pails
of extender. prcf~ably at least about 4 parts of extender, and
more preferably about 6 to about 10 parts of extender:
Shipping volurnes of extended sancn in a semen storage
device (e.g.. plastic syringe or polypropylene tube with cap)
range is size from about IO ml W about Z?5 ml is the
practice of the present invention. A typical volume is shout
50 to about 60 mL
In another preferred embodiment, the present invention is
dircdod to a container arrangement for transporting equine
semen comprising:
a thermally insulated rigid contains made of a recyclable
foamed plastic malarial. the rigid foamod plastic coo-
taincr including support mennbas fosmod on a Boor
tharoof, the support mennbcrs boring sdspted to suppaat
at least one plastic syringe ce polypropylene tube with
cap containing extended equine semen;
a lid for closing an open uppKr end of the rigid foamed
plastic rnntaina, the lid being formed with at least wtc
ridge which extends coutinuously about a lower surface
of the lid.proximate an edge of the lid, the ridge txing
adapted to be received in a recess which extends
continuously about au upper edge of the rigid foamed
plastic containcc in a manner which forms a scat when
the lid is pressod onto the rigid foamed plastic con-
rains;
a ported thermoregulating plate disposed in the rigid
foamed plastic container to separate the interior thereof
into a lower chamtxr in which the support members arc
formed and in which the syringe or polypropylene tube
is supported. from an upper chamber in which a refiig-
crant pack containing a solid foam coolant is disposed.
the ported ihctmocegulating plate having 5rst and sx
and ports formed therein. the first and seooad ports
being formed at opposite cods of the thecmorcgulating
plate and in positions
wherein. when the thermorcgulaeing place Is disposod in
the container in a manner wheran it.rests atop of oar
or more support members. the first and second ports are
cacti located over a support member so that fluid
communication betwocn the upper and lows c6ambcrs
is rcsoricted; and a double-walled corrugated cardboard
box snugly enclosing the rigid foamed plastic container
and lid.
In this prcf~ed embodiment. the ported tham~a'egulat-
ing plate is selected to attenuate the rate of cooling of the
equine semen contained in the at least one plastic syringe or
polypropylene tube with cap to no more than about 0.20°
Gmin. preferably no more than about 0.10° CJmin. most
preferably about 0.01 ° C./min ever a tempecat<ue range from
about 38° C to about S° C.. and cspcaavlly from' about
15°
C. to about S° C.
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
The double-walled ooavgattd cardboard box tends to acx
as a wick to absorb ambient moisture before it can reach the
rigid foamed plastic container. and. thus. in effect. act as a
vapor barrier to attenuate the invasion of water vapor into
the rigid foamed plasufc container. The double-walled struc-
ture also endows the corrugated cardboard box with a very
high level of structural integrity, which Is believed to con-
tribute substantially to the commercial viabulity of the
preseat invention. in other words, the box is inexpensive and
disposable, but st~l is able to peotocx the insulating container
from damage which is apt to ocatr during transit via
commercial carria/postal services. The lid used in the above
arrangement is foumod with a central boss portion that is
adapted tn fit saugty Into a mouth of the t~pa end of the
rigid foamed p)astic coatainx Further. the fast and second
ports are so dimensioned as to permit the insa-tion of digits.
such as human fingers, to additionally permit the ther-
moregulating Plate to be quiddy and easily liftod from the
position in which it separates the rigid foamed plastic
eontaiaa Into upper and lows diamtxrs.
In a further pctfa:rd unbodimear, the present invention
resides in a method for transpoeting equine semen. the
mahod comprising the steps of:
mixiag an cxteadcr solution having a pH and an osmo-
lality which have been previously adjusted to within
respective prradctamincd ranger, with a sample of
equine semen;
inducting at list a poattiott of the nnbtttue into a semen
storage device (syringe. plastic tubeJbodttc with a cap)
and then dosing the semea storage device;
placing the syringe is the bottom of a thermally insulated
container made of a foam plastic material;
placing a ported thetmoregulating plate in the foamed
plastic contains in a manna which separates the
interior of the foamed plastic wntaina into a lower
compattlnent in which the syringe is disposed, and an
upper compa~ncat in which a .contaIna containing a
constantly solid, foamod rrfrigaane is disposed. me ' .
thermoregulating plate beiag formed of a foamed piss- -
tic having a prcdetctrnined thidmtss and density;
dosing the poets in the tharrmoeegulaHng plate by seating
the thcrmoncgulatiag plate on suppattlpanition mem-
bers which are formed in the inside bottom of the
foamed plastic container, which art used to support the
syringe in a stable position in the contains, and which
are located so that the ports arc dosed when the
thermaregulnting Plate is in a seated position;
dosing the container with a lid which doses an upper end ,
of the foamed plastic contains. and which is formed
with at least one scaling rib which extends about the
lows surface of the lid, the scaling rib bang dimen-
sioned so as to be snugly rocaved in a groove which
extends continuously about the upper end of the
foamed plastic container; and
cndosing the foamed plastic oontalacr and lid In a cor-
rugated caudboaord box. In this mediod_ a suitable
syringe Is selected and has a surface arcawolumc ratio
su~ently tow to auemrate the raft of cooling of tee
equine semen aampde. and provide an increased volume
foe cxtcader fluid to be mixed with the semen sample.
The extends preferably oonaprtiscs suaose,~ glucose,
dry skim milk. at least ono anh'biotic. and rill culture
tested water, plus any chemieals (e.g.. sodium carbon-
ate or sodium bicarbonate) required to adjust the pH
and/or osmolality of the extender fluid.
In still aaothcr prefeared embodiment. the ptzsctrt inven-
tion resides in a container acrangemcnt comprising:
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
5.9
13
a single corrugated cardboard blank adapted to be fddcd
into a double wallod boz having a single sift of entry-,
a plastic strip which is enoboddcd in the d blank
at manufaetiu~c and which extends a full length of the
blank; and
first and sxond bolts formed in the cardboard blank in a
manna whct~cin the first and socond holes pass through
the plastic strip and are located pfoodnnate first and
SCOOnd CndS of ihC Cardb63id hlHnl~
the fast and sooond holes being located pcozimate one
anothcl when the c~u~dboard b):nk is fdded into itx boa
configuration so that a lead or other aatachmenit nxans
can be passed therethrough to enable the boz to be
locked against unautharizod entry, and also provide a
user knowledge that the boz has been catered without
permlSSlOp. In one ernbodimcnt of the present
invention, the cardboard may be Oneatcd with a warn
innpameable or resistive sttbstanee, e.g., wax. to create
a vapor bamia to prevcat undesired entry of moisWre
into the container arraugemcnt.
This prefctzcd embodiment of the gcescat invention may
further comprise:
a rigid foaarod plasfic contains. including a unitary
support strudtae fart supporting at least ooe stangc
vessel, and bring so dimensioned as to be mceiva6le in
the double-wallod boz;
a lid for closing as open upper end of the rigid foamed
plastic contains, the lid being formed with at least one
ridge that continuously extends about a lows surface
of the lid proximate an edge of the lid. the ridge bring
adapted to be received in a rooess which extends
continuously about an upper edge of the rigid foamed
plastic coataina in a manner which forms a seal when
the lid is pressed onto the rigid foamAd plastic coa-
taina: a refzigecant pack containing a solid foam cool-
ant; and
means disposed in the bottom of the rigid foamed plastic
container for partitioning the interior thaoo~ separat-
ing the at least one storage vessd from the refrigerant
pack. and for limiting the coding rate of contents in the
storage vcxsd to a value that is pttferably no more than
about 0.10° CJmin. and more prefcrabIy about 0.01° C.
'Ilirning now to the figures. FIGS. 1-12 show a pcefarcd
cmbodimcnt of the present invention. FIG. 1 dcpicis the
arrangement in a fully assembled state. As shown, this
arrangcmcnt indudcs a farmed plastic oortaina I44. which
is closed by a lid 102 that also is finned of foamed plastic.
Foamed plastic container lOA and lid 102 are enclosed
within a double-wall coarugatod cardboard contains 106,
only parts of which arse shown for illustrative sintplidty.
A potted thernwregulating plate 108 is disposed in
foamed plastic contains 100 so as to partition the interior of
foamed plastic container 100 into a lower storage chamba
104v. in which syringes ll0 are stored, and an upper
nefrigaant c~tamba 100b. in which a container 112 of solid
refrigarant (forming a coolant pack) is disposed. As is best
seen in FIG. 9. ported thermoregulating plate 108 is formed
with two ports or openings 108a at opposite ends thereof.
As is best seen in FIG. 3. the bottompoc0ion of dre interior <
of foamed plastic container 100 is provided with babes/
ribs/suQportslpartitions I00c, whidt arc spaced and aaanged
to support syringes 110 in a rattic free state fort smooth
transportation, as wdl as one Shat inta~xs with ports of the
thamoregulat3ng plate is the manna disarssed below r
As is shown by broken Lines (poets) 108a in FIG. 3, the
parts ue formed in thertnoregulating plate 108 in a location
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
I4
such that, when in possitlou. each port is located atop a
ba$elweb/ribbtng/suppoit/partition that forms syringe
moeiving tresses within the bottom of foamed plastic
container 110. This aaangement prates ~~on for
fluid comtnrtttication between upper and lower c:6atnbu-s
190~a.1~6. Pbtic ll8n are sttapod so as to sage as openings
into which digits. such as the fingers of an operator. can be
inserted to fae31ita0e removal of the tba~g~$ p~tc
when quick and easy acocss to one a mare syringes in the
~ lower 1~ is de~rcd.
1n aooordancx with the pcrscnt invention. thertnorcgulat-
ing plate ItiB can. if so desirad. be made slightly smaller than
the iatuiar dimensions of the interior of container Iol. thus
~°°i~8 ~1 clearanocs between the side walls of the
interior of the foatttod plastic oontaina and the edges of the
' thertno~regttladng plate. This fadlitattes access to the
~~ bY 8 ~o oval of the thernnorcgulat-
tag Plate. Hawev~r. excessive oomtnunication between
apps and Iowa chambu~s IIIb. lAlu should be avoided in
order to decrease oonvoctivc Bows tharbetween_
Container 111, lid 112. nerd the P~ I18
P~~ly may be formed of a rigid highly tl~ i~ulat-
ing foam plastic, such as polystyrene or polytn~anc foam,
~~ Is expanded to 2.0 IbsJsqttare inch The thamongu- '
lat~g plate III is peeferably about one-half to two inches
thick These values of thidotcss and density was found to
P~ appropd,an; insul~ion, and to optimize the upper/
Lower chamber division, upper/lowa chamber fluid
rcsaiction, and ease-of use ~ff~cts of the plate.
As is shown in FIGS. 1-4.container 100 is formed with a
continuous channel ll4 about its upper edge~149e. As shown
in FIGS. 5-.8.1id ls2 is fotmect with a continuous rydgc 116_
w~~ is adapted to be snugly reocived in channel I14 whoa
lid I02 is plaood on top of container 100. Lid 102 is furthu
formed with a centt~l boss portloa ll8, which fits snugly
into the open mouth of container 100.
This lid arrangement allows container I00 to be simply
sad easily closed off with only a m;ni~ of gal , .
ambient moisture being subsequently permitted to enter the
Via, _
In this prcfetrod embodiment. the cotzugated cardboard or
fiberboard box 116, In which conisina and lid 100, 102 are
dlsposcd, is a double walled arrang~nt, which inherently
adds to the thernnal Insulation to further isolate the container
from the effects of ambient cetnpcxauuz and/or ambient
tetnperxture fluctuation. Furthermore. as mentioned about.
this box also can act a wicJc to absorb moisture during transit.
A~ngly. when box 106 is ctoscd. scaled. and ready
for trattspottatloa it serves not only to protect container. i00
against oampressive forces, but aLco adds additional tl~ .
insulation. Furthermore" box 106 provides a wictang efi'ect
to absorb water/moisture, which thns creates a type of vapor
barrier ~ dap that assists in maituaiaing the interior of the
container free of coadeasation_
'hire cansttvcuon of cardboard box 106 is also unique in
that it has a configuration such that, uall7ce conventional
cardboard bones. it has only one sift or opening via which
access to the interior thereof can be gained. In addition.
cardboard box 116 ha a security play ~p 1~ that is
buried from one cad to We other of the cardboard blank 106~
Wing its manufacture. as is shower in phantom in FIG. I2
before Its being folded along chain lira 106b. When folded
Into its operative eonffgutation, boz 106 is thus closed and
sealed In a manna whip m~ it essentially impossible
for the contents to be ta~od wIm without the recipient of
the package being aware of same.
More spxifically, two openings 106c are formed in two
opposite ends of blank 106 within the end regions of
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
5.983,661
15 16
embedded security plastic snip 19&1. When blank let' is the semen sample is
mixed with a dual sugar, pli adjusted
folded along the dotted lines shown in FIG. 12 to fag a box. ~~ ~~~ ~, ~ me
yy~g~s) and at tnom
openings 116c are lob adjacent one anotka so that a t~~e ~, drawing the semen
sample into the syringe
lead. of similar of a sea(. can be passod throttg~t the (s)_ ~ ~n is then
cappod with a stertlc cap llAo. and
openings. Upon the ends of such a lead being palnaneat(y s placed in position
in the bottom of oontaina 110. Tha-
connected to one ant>thet: suds as by a3»~ipe, fur, ~~ ova top
bonding. or the like. die intstior of the box cannot be m°~~°~
perm !~ ~ then in
acasscd. while the scat remains intact without desCroying at sYdaBes llO in
the manner shown is FIG. I. Coolant pack
least a poctioo of the d Thus, this embodiment ~ the is placed on top of
theaaotzgulating plait 168 and
prevents anyone from secretly tampering with the contents lid 192 is fitted
into position to cbse oonfaina 100. The
of the boa. to d~ ~taina is then placed in the ooocu aced cardboard
8
This boz finds ttighiy advantagoous to use. aoooading to shipping u, which is
then scaled dosed. including
the present invention, in drat it is simultaneously lightweight use of seau3ty
plastic strip Ii6v with holes 166c.
and mezpcnsive. it pwvides increased thezmal insulation, it ~a 1 ~ 2 show
rcsulCS of tests conducted on three
acts as a vapor trap or baQia, and it can be oonveaielttty ~ ~ ~ well as the
present invention. In Tables
discarded cx disposod of after a single use. ~th~.nnore, the IS 1 ,and 2.
PRIOR ART 1. PRIOR ART 2. and PRIOR ART 3
double wall strucalre. which resuks after ~f nd~ a high '~'~t the devices sold
as Bquitsina'~~. ~p~,~t".
106', restttLS in a tematlrabl robust box that
degree of stnlcdaai strength and pafotedioa for the foam and ~l~ ~P~~.
rapoctively As wt71 Ix appreciated
plastic container held within during transit These ptopaties by the stilled
artisa4, the unatpocted and superior pcrfar-
prevent bresrage/damage by the inevitable bumping and 2o manse of the present
invention ours the performance of
jostling which occurs during handling by oonlmQdal coin. other pciar art
dtvioes is self-evident In particular, the
ria or postal services. cspocialty doting loading/ualoaditlg prat invcotioa
provided a suitable slow ooolingrate in the
from one transpoR ve6ide to another, suds as at truck ~p~.~ ~ ~ about 16-
14° C. and aboul 14-I2° C.,
telmlttals, airports. train stations, and the like. as is d
1t wt71 be noted that the use of the above daaibed ~ ~°a'n in l~ble 1.
)Rurthamac, practice a~-
coaugated cardboard boz is not neaessan7y limited to appii_ ~ mg to the prat
inrtentioa resuloed in the greatest time to
ration with thcrn>a!(y insulated foam plastic ooluaina~ 1N. r~ the lowest
tm>~n. to all other arrango-
and cao be used to ship other items and products, eg.. its ~ ('fable 2).
Regardless of the extended time to
electronics. In other words, the cardboard box of the instant ~ the ultimate
storage tcimpaaaRme. the time ova which
invention can be pturhased as a blank. and subsequently ~o sin could be
maintained below 15° C. (77 hours) was
folded. loaded. and seated in a meaner which permits the 3° greater
with the present invention than with the other
dispatch of a variety of items in a secure and inexpensive arrangements tested
('Fable 2, last column), based on param-
etas sudl as the motility of spermatozoa (total motility,
In order to adlieve successful shipping of delicate sclnen progressive
motility, rapid mot7ity. curvilinear velocity.
cargo, it is prefaced to place a specimen of gel-froe semen straight line
vekachy. etc).
TABLE 1
F3~CT OF
EQ1J1NE
~ FOR? CONTi111~R
ON COOL~1C3
~
1tN DHriR.S S PER FS19F m lnt~ OF S
CFZSIU MBVVI 40~ E7fIFND
C~ 20 b 18 18 161u 14 1o I2' IO
C. a 14 C. 12 b to
ld C. 10 C. 8
C. C.
YtiorAd 1 -0.08 -0.06 -0.QS --0.04-0A2
-0.09
Prior Art -0.12 -0.12 -0_l2 -O.1 -a
2 -0.12 t 07
I'tior Art -0.10 -0.10 -0.04 --0.02.
3 -0.11 -0.Opi3
Ia~iao -0.0899-0.0714-0.052s-0.0342 -0.0025
-0:0177
TABLE 2
EFFECT OF 8QlJINE $~f Z'~Ny~ORT CON7"AB~R ON S'11DRA(WtH~PgRwTURES
wND w~Ra~m~tcl Rwz~s of 4o.i~. ~ttQuoTS of ~ctErtnsD s~N
(IN DHOR88S C$LSItTS PSR I~~ItTlg1
1~'I~eanne T'm° Requaed to 'Lime Road 6cr Tao° Roqaced for
o~ ZSemen 7~tp~xfnao ao Samn Tempaatme o0
Coaaioa Staaye (' C.) Sta~e'Bxeeed 10~ e. Eueea ls~ c.
Prior An I 5.5 11.25 h 53.0 h 71.0 h
Prise Art 2 -0,1 83 h 27.5 d 323 6
Prior Alt 3 79 173 h 33.s 6 45.25 h
B.4 227 h 59.0 h 77.0 6
from all ejaculates in an incubator at about 37° C. wldtin 65 The
foregoing description of prefeaod embodimenu of
about 2 mintltcs of collection. The sperm concentration is the present
invention have boen presented only for purposes
then measured using a densimeter Immediately ihereafta, of illustration and
description. It is not intended to be
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
17
exhaustive or to limit the invartion to the precise disclosed
forms. Many obvious modifications and variations of the
disclosed prcfctrcd ctnbodimcnts will be apparent w prao-
titioncrs skilled in this art SImilarly. any process steps
described might be intuchangeabie with other steps in order
to achieve the same result. The etnbodimeats wuc d~oxn
and described to best explain the principles of the invention
and its best mode pracxical application to thereby enable
others skilled in this art to understand the invention for
various embodiments and with various modifica6ions as arc
suited to the particular uses oontanpLatod. $ is inucnded that
the scope of the invention tx defined by the dainas appended
hcncto and their equivalents.
For example, any suitable altanattc gram positive and/or
gram negative antibiotics may be usod in the semen cztcnda
solution. as wdl as any effective bmoad spoctrtrm antt'ht'otic
(s). In addition. soair~ity plastic strip lAG~a o~f the cardboard
box could be r~cplaoed with a strip mtde of a different
rnatuiaL As yet another example. the boot could be made of
a rnatcaal othu tfian tudboard_ oc a combination of cud-
board and another nrateriaL As a feather c~umpl~. the
nbbing/supportfpsn'oition mctubas in the bottom of the
foamed plastic coataIner ncod not nooessuily extend the
grcatu part of the length of the bottom of the rigid foamed
plastic container. providcQ that (1) the plastic syringes) or
othu semen stontgc dcvicds) were hc.Ld soarrcly in position.
and (2) the poets o~f the thamoc~.gul~eg plate war appro-
pciaccly "oovctnd" to pmvidc the requisite rcsbrietion far
Huid oomrnunicuioa becwcea the upper and lower cJiamDers
of the bottom of the rigsd fonnoed plastic container. Ia
addition. the rigid foatncd plastic container could be made of
a matcrial(s) diffucnt from that of ttx instant invention.
provided that roughly similar inrulatiag/heat transfer ehar-
acuristicx obtained foe the fine! pendua and the abovo-
dcsai'bod rrlativdy slower cooling rate is not coimpdsad_ As
an even further example. a semen solution with a
composition different from chef describod hcsein (erg.,
finny ~) could be used. pravidtd the degnx of
dihrtion sppmximatrd a value or range of values that at last
ovcr>zppod the range provided by the instant invention. As
another example. storage and a~aaspaat d~eviees that arc made
of materials different from those discJoxd herein would fall
within the scope o~f the pc~esenr iaventian. provided that they
effcctivdy promocod semen stoeage. inducting being ~
and containing no spermicidal mds. As a final
czaruplc. ux of the iastanc invention far stae'agc and trans-
port of equine semen samples need not be sa limited- Other
biological (inducting semen from otbar animal soarscs) and
non-biological samples roquizing simile cooling rates and/
oc storage tempctabut~cs well benefit horn practice of the
disclostge herein. F~u~ctmoa~. the prindplcs of the present
invention can be appliod to a-eate similar container
arrangements. but with sda~aaons for the di$arot cooling
rate or other pa:amc~r that is erquitzd to nooct the coeds of
the partiartat biological or non-f~iolog~ical product uadxgo-
lng storage and/or transport
CA 02349287 2001-05-02
