Using a Cryokit^TM

This is a picture of the container that will be shipped to your home for sample collection. All supplies mentioned below will be included in the shipment.

NOTE: These instructions are for the processing of one ejaculate. Steps 1-6 must be repeated for each additional ejaculate.

STEP # 1. You need: Your ejaculate, a plastic pipette, a test tube, and your cup for holding the test tube upright.

A. By depressing and releasing the plastic pipette bulb, aspirate the semen from the collection cup and transfer it to the graduated test tube. The tube is "graduated" (Marked) in Milliliters (ml) beginning at the bottom.

B. Record the volume of your semen.

STEP # 2. You need: Test Yolk Buffer (TYB); yellow liquid frozen in vials, found in the interior of your tank on canes. To determine how many vials to defrost, follow this guide:

Immediately remove your pre-determined number of vials from the tank. Allow the vials to defrost at room temperature for 30 minutes. Roll vials between the palms of your hand to "warm it up" to body temperature.

STEP # 3. You need: Plastic pipette

Using the pipette, gently mix semen (take it up and down in the pipette gently, still holding it in the tube) Add an equal amount of TYB, drop-by-drop, until volume in tube has doubled. (ie., if you had 2 ml semen, you are going to add TYB until the mixture comes up to 4 ml in the test tube). Mix well.

STEP # 4. You need empty vials and black permanent marker pen.

Fill vials to the 1.0 ml mark on the vial with your yellow semen/TYB mixture. Continue filling as many 1.0-ml vials as possible. Put caps back onto vials, being careful not to over-tighten. Fill a final vial with 0.5 ml or less. Place a colored cap insert into the top of the cap. This vial is called a "Post-Thaw" vial, and will be used to evaluate that ejaculate when returned to Xytex.

On every single vial, put your name, ejaculate date, and your LTS account number. Your number is "L_________________". This is your account/customer number.) IMPORTANT: This step is crucial to ensure your sample is properly identified and stored at XTS. We cannot be responsible for unlabeled or incompletely-labeled vials. Doctors who may use the samples in the future for insemination will not accept "questionable" vials. BE SURE TO USE THE MARKER WE PROVIDE—OTHER MARKERS FADE/DISAPPEAR ON THE FROZEN VIAL.

STEP # 5: You will need: Empty aluminum canes and your pre-labeled vials.

Hook up to 6 vials on each cane (vials actually "snap" onto the cane). If you had 11 vials, you will use 2 canes (with 1 empty spot on one cane). Write your Account Number ("L____") on top of the aluminum cryocane.

Place all canes with vials into your refrigerator for 15 minutes.

STEP # 6. You will need: LN2 tank prepared.

After 15 minutes, remove your canes from the refrigerator.

Remove cap from LN2 tank. Lift internal metal basket (canister) by it’s protruding handle and drop your canes from the refrigerator into the basket as quickly as possible. Immediately lower the basket back down into the tank and replace the tank’s cap. NOTE: the basket and interior of the tank are very cold, so don’t touch either.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

1. LABEL VIALS WITH YOUR NAME, DATE and LTS ACCT. # PRIOR TO REFRIGERATION.
2. YOU CANNOT "GO BACK AND LABEL LATER"
3. ONCE THE VIALS ARE PLACED INTO THE LN2 TANK, THEY MUST NOT BE REMOVED. THIS WOULD ALLOW PARTIAL THAWING AND POSSIBLE DE-STRUCTION OF YOUR SPERM CELLS.
4. KEEP THE CAP ON THE LN2 TANK AT ALL TIMES, REMOVING IT ONLY TO PLACE SUBSEQUENT VIALS INTO THE TANK.
5. CALL XTS IF IN DOUBT ABOUT ANY PART OF THE PROCESS.