A bodily fluid transporting unit that includes a container with a syringe housing and a refrigerant pack in the container. The container is covered by a lid and the engagement of the container and the lid results in an air-tight and moisture-tight bodily fluid transporting unit.

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilization for use with livestock that maintains the sterility of the semen or embryo(s) until deposited at an optimum location in the reproductive tract of the animal without the maneuvering or tissue injury problems associated with prior art devices. Embodiments of the present invention comprise a uniquely shaped opening that is provided at the tip of a sheath that is used with an artificial insemination gun, and a movable or deformable plug or diaphragm that fits into and covers this opening. The plug or diaphragm has a rounded (convex) exterior surface, and may be made of a rigid or rubberized material that completely covers the opening at the tip of the sheath, and seals it closed in a smooth, flush engagement to prevent contaminants from collecting upon the tip, or entering into the sheath during the trip through the reproductive tract of the animal. Once the sheath is properly placed in the reproductive tract, application of fluid pressure to the inside the sheath causes the plug to move or deform without becoming detached from the sheath, thereby allowing contents of the sheath to exit. In alternative embodiments, the unique tip with its opening and corresponding plug may be provided in a separate cap that is installed at the end of an insemination sheath.

An assembly includes a catheter that has an insemination lumen for injecting sperm into a uterus. The insemination lumen includes two branches (sub-lumens), one directed toward a left ostium and the other directed to a right ostium of fallopian tubes.

A method of artificially inseminating a hen includes the steps of securing a male bird, applying a semen extender liquid to a tip of a cloacal protuberance of the male bird, squeezing the cloacal protuberance to extract semen from the male bird into the semen extender liquid to form a mixture, applying a tip of a pipette to the mixture, drawing the mixture into the pipette, securing the hen, inserting the pipette into the hen's cloaca, and squeezing a bulb of the pipette to inject the mixture from the pipette into the cloaca. A holding device for restraining a bird during sperm collection and artificial insemination procedures has a base, an arm extending upward from the base, and an open-ended receptacle connected to the upper end of the arm. The holding device is useful in mitigating injury to the bird and the handler during the procedures.

The invention relates to methods of increasing the genetic progress of a line, breed or herd of swine through the use of sex-selected sperm cells in artificial insemination techniques. The invention also encompasses methods of artificially inseminating a swine via deep intrauterine catheter or via a laparoscopic procedure, which allow the use of reduced doses of sex-selected sperm cells.

The invention relates to methods of increasing genetic merit of swine by establishing a plurality of mating subtypes for a line of swine, and determining a percentage of progeny that are male for each of the mating subtypes, or a percentage of progeny that are female for each of the mating subtypes, that would result, relative to a control, in an increase in genetic merit in the line; the invention further relates to sorting a sperm cell sample from a male swine in one of the mating subtypes into one or more subpopulations of sperm cells, wherein a majority of sperm cells in a subpopulation of sperm cells bear X chromosomes or Y chromosomes, and inseminating one or more female swine in the one of the mating subtypes with the subpopulation of sperm cells to achieve the percentage of progeny that are male, or the percentage of progeny that are female, determined to increase genetic merit relative to the control.

Devices, systems, and methods for detecting estrus in subjects are provided. Devices include a housing configured for intravaginal/intrauterine deployment and retention and a sensor disposed in or on the housing, and are configured to use condition information sensed by the sensor to determine an estrus condition of the subject. Methods include deploying a device in the subject, sensing the condition information, and determining an estrus condition using the condition information. Systems include a device configured to communicate with a base station and/or with other implanted devices, which are located within a reception radius thereof, regarding the determined estrus condition.

An apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical body including an end portion having rounded edges and at least one opening. The apparatus further includes a nub integrally formed with the substantially cylindrical body and extending from the end portion proximate to the at least one opening. The nub includes a substantially rounded end.

Device for vaginal access to the uterus of a livestock animal for transfer of material or collecting samples, includes a body integrally connected to gripping element, a first passage extending through the device and opening out at two ends in order to establish an access route between the inside and the outside of the animal, the body being straight and rigid in order to permit introduction into the vagina, and a cup being provided at its distal end, a projection extending from the bottom of the cup and having a through-hole in communication with the first passage, the cup having an orifice in communication with a second passage extending through the body and connected to suction element, to place the cup flat against the fornix of the neck of the uterus, with viewing element likewise being provided in order to permit viewing at the front of the cup.

The present invention provides an artificial insemination apparatus and methods for use with livestock that maintains the sterility of the semen until it is deposited at an optimum location in the reproductive tract of the animal without the maneuvering or tissue injury problems associated with prior art devices. Embodiments of the present invention comprise a uniquely shaped opening that is provided at the tip of a sheath that is used with an artificial insemination gun, and a movable or deformable plug or diaphragm that fits into and covers this opening. The plug or diaphragm has a rounded (convex) exterior surface, and may be made of a rigid or rubberized material that completely covers the opening at the tip of the sheath, and seals it closed in a smooth, flush engagement to prevent contaminants from collecting upon the tip, or entering into the sheath during the trip through the reproductive tract of the animal. Once the sheath is properly placed in the reproductive tract, application of fluid pressure to the semen inside the sheath causes the plug to move or deform without becoming detached from the sheath, thereby allowing semen inside the sheath to exit. In alternative embodiments, the unique tip with its opening and corresponding plug may be provided in a separate cap that is installed at the end of an insemination sheath.