A plug of an artificial insemination tube for livestock breeding includes a leading portion and a viewing portion, each having different color layers or different hardness layers, and being formed by stacking and combining different foam layers. In an artificial insemination for livestock breeding, the plug installed at the front of a sperm delivery duct is inserted into a reproductive organ of the livestock, and secretion or fluid is attached and shown on surfaces of the plug leading portion and the viewing portion with different colors to achieve the effect of detecting the physical and physiological conditions of the livestock. In addition, the leading portion is a foam layer with relatively greater hardness, density, and smoothness, so that the plug may be entered into the female livestock body more easily, and the injection hole will not be deformed easily, so as to improve the smoothness and efficiency of the artificial insemination.

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.

Everting balloon systems and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. The systems can be configured to access and dilate body lumen and cavities. For example, the systems can be used to dilate the cervix and access the uterine cavity. The systems can also be used to occlude the cervix. The systems can also be used to occlude the urethra.

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.

A post-cervical insemination catheter assembly including a cannula; a guide catheter slideably positioned about said cannula; and, a tip element securely connected to a distal end of said cannula. The tip element is configured to receive fluid from the cannula and dispense the fluid from a tip element outlet end. The tip element outlet end remains closed when loading the cannula through a vaginal canal and when traversing a cervix of the animal and then automatically opens when sufficient fluid pressure in the tip element is applied, thus enhancing injection of fluid to the utero-tubal junction, bio-secure delivery of fluids from any attached container, and a much safer less invasive experience for the recipient then prior post-cervical artificial insemination (PCAI) catheter assemblies.

The invention concerns a device (1) for the atraumatic transfer of a material or substance with a reproductive, therapeutic or diagnostic purpose into female mammal a female mammal, comprising a body assembly (2), an outer sheath (3) suitable for being inserted as far as the start of one of the uterine horns, an inner sheath (4) inside the outer sheath (3) and capable of being extended into the uterine horn, and a piston (5) inserted into the inner sheath (4) in order to push the material or substance up to the distal end of the inner sheath (4). The body assembly (2) comprises a rod (11) extending away from the outer sheath (3) and on which a shuttle assembly (12) is slidingly mounted, comprising a primary shuttle (14), mounted sliding on said rod (11) and to which the piston (5) is attached, and a secondary shuttle (20), mounted sliding on said primary shuttle (14) and to which the inner sheath (4) is attached.

A plug of an artificial insemination tube for livestock breeding includes a leading portion and a viewing portion, each having different color layers or different hardness layers, and being formed by stacking and combining different foam layers. In an artificial insemination for livestock breeding, the plug installed at the front of a sperm delivery duct is inserted into a reproductive organ of the livestock, and secretion or fluid is attached and shown on surfaces of the plug leading portion and the viewing portion with different colors to achieve the effect of detecting the physical and physiological conditions of the livestock. In addition, the leading portion is a foam layer with relatively greater hardness, density, and smoothness, so that the plug may be entered into the female livestock body more easily, and the injection hole will not be deformed easily, so as to improve the smoothness and efficiency of the artificial insemination.

A method of sterilizing an Intracervical Insemination (ICI) fertility kit, for use in performing self-insemination, via ethylene oxide. Each sterile kit comprises: one to three sets of individually wrapped sterile, disposable, syringes and optionally semen collection jars; printed instructions; and a QR code. The collection jar comprises a snap-on lid, and an inner surface with seamless edges to prevent semen residue. The syringes and optionally the jars are sealed in plastic wraps permeable to air and gas, and impermeable to pathogens; and sterilized via ethylene oxide. Fresh or frozen, unwashed or washed, semen is deposited into the jar, pulled into the syringe, and administered cervically during a user's maximum monthly level of luteinizing hormone. The syringe distal end is designed to push all semen out of the syringe then plug the end closed, while preventing semen residue from collecting within the syringe. Large circular syringe handles facilitate stable handling.

This invention is directed to methods for manipulating sex, reversing sex, changing sex ratio, or moderating crustacean androgenic gland peptide expression in crustaceans for producing a monosex culture. In one embodiment, the present method comprises the step of injecting a dsRNA for the gene of IAG into a male crustacean. In another embodiment, the present method comprises the step of injecting a dsRNA for the gene of IAG into a female crustacean that had acquired a spermatophore (a sperm sac) after mating with a male. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of producing a monosex culture of crustacean by introducing a recombinant IAG peptide into the female crustacean, thereby obtains male with altered sexual characteristics for mating with a normal female. In one embodiment, the crustacean is a shrimp or lobster.

The present artificial insemination instrument may include a single use, hollow, elongate, metal pipette and a single disposable syringe that is not toxic to bovine sperm. The apparatus is used with any type of diluent that is not toxic to bovine sperm. In various embodiments, a technician may use non-sorted reduced sperm count semen straws from a bull stud, cut an unsorted semen straw into several pieces to use one piece at a time per cow, thaw one straw and mix the non-sorted semen with diluent, or use reduced sperm count semen straws filled with sex sorted semen by the manufacturer. A procedure is disclosed to use the artificial insemination instrument, reduced sperm count semen from any of the aforementioned sources, a non-toxic syringe, and a diluent to achieve conception rates at least as good as conventional prior art device and procedure conception rates.