An Innovative Device Integrating Cryopreservation, Storage, and Artificial Insemination of Mouse Sperm

 描述(申请人提供)：ParaTechs公司旨在为研究人员提供先进的技术和方法，以简化实验动物模型的程序。在积极支持“减少、取代和改进”动物使用的努力的同时，ParaTechs为外科手术提供了安全和有效的替代方案。我们已经向市场推出了一种非手术胚胎移植设备(NSETTM)，它用一种只需几秒钟且不需要麻醉的非手术方法取代了手术胚胎移植。我们开发了一种新的小鼠非手术人工授精(AI)方案，它取代了现有的手术AI方案，是对现有非手术AI方案的技术进步。我们计划使用这一新开发的协议，通过一种新的精子冷冻保存和应变恢复系统，彻底改变小鼠模型的存档和全球分发过程。利用小鼠品系进行研究是研究哺乳动物基因功能的最重要工具之一。尽管数十万种小鼠已经被编目和冷冻保存，但随着监管限制和活体动物运输成本的增加，品系共享变得越来越困难。我们可以解决这个问题，并提供一个技术上优越的替代冷冻保存和授精(C&I)设备。该系统将把冷冻精子的储存和运输与非手术人工授精结合起来。该设备将适用于储存冷冻保存的精子，将可运输，将允许解冻后可存活的精子回收，然后将直接用于非手术人工授精。此设备将不需要在 在冷冻精子解冻后进行体外受精(IVF)；大大减少了这一程序所需的小鼠数量，并取代了人工授精的外科方法，这两项都促进了动物的健康和福利。因此，这个项目的目标是设计、制造和测试一种用于老鼠的C&I设备。这些目标将通过两个目标来实现。首先，将设计和生产一个C&I设备原型。其次，将测试使用C&I设备原型进行精子冷冻保存和小鼠品系恢复的可行性。这一新的技术突破将提供一种替代体外受精的小鼠品系冷冻复苏的方法，体外受精是目前首选的但技术上具有挑战性和劳动强度大的品系回收方法。通过这样做，C&I设备将为研究人员节省大量成本，并为运输和应变恢复提供一种方便的方法。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): ParaTechs Corporation aims to provide researchers with advanced technology and methods to simplify procedures for laboratory animal models. While actively supporting efforts to `reduce, replace and refine' animal use, ParaTechs provides safe and efficient alternatives for surgical procedures. We have already brought to market a nonsurgical embryo transfer device (NSETTM) which replaces surgical embryo transfers with a nonsurgical method that takes only seconds and does not require anesthesia. We have developed a new protocol for nonsurgical artificial insemination (AI) of mice which replaces existing protocols for surgical AI and is a technical advancement for existing nonsurgical AI protocols. We plan to use this newly developed protocol to revolutionize the process of archiving and global distribution of mouse models through a novel sperm cryopreservation and strain recovery system. The use of mouse strains in research is one of the most important tools used to study mammalian gene function. While hundreds of thousands of mouse strains have been catalogued and cryopreserved, sharing of strains is becoming increasingly difficult as regulatory constraints and the cost of shipping live animals increase. We can solve this problem and provide a technically superior alternative with the cryopreservation and insemination (C&I) device. This system will integrate storage and shipment of cryopreserved sperm with nonsurgical artificial insemination. The device will be suitable for storage of cryopreserved sperm, will be shippable, will allow viable sperm recovery upon thawing, and then will be used directly for nonsurgical artificial insemination. This device will eliminate the need to perform in vitro fertilization (IVF) upon thawing of cryopreserved sperm; greatly reducing the number of mice required for the procedure and replacing a surgical method of artificial insemination, both of which promote animal health and welfare. Therefore, the goals of this project are to design, manufacture, and test a C&I device for mice. The goals will be accomplished in two aims. First, a C&I device prototype will be designed and produced. Second, the feasibility of using the C&I device prototype for sperm cryopreservation and mouse strain recovery will be tested. This new technological breakthrough will provide an alternative to cryorecovery of mouse strains by in vitro fertilization methods, the currently preferred but technically challenging and labor intensiv strain recovery method. In doing so, the C&I device will provide a substantial cost savings to researchers and a convenient method for shipping and strain recovery.