Add Embryos to Inventory

Prior to entering your embryos to inventory, be sure to have all required details available. Verify that the lab report or other listing that accompanied the delivery of your embryos is handy and available for reference. Note that the following details are required to add embryos to inventory:

• Sire NAAB National Association of Animal Breeders. www.naab-css.org code, Name, or ISO International Organization for Standardization, a global organization that promotes commercial and industrial standards. ID Identifier
• Donor ID, Name, or ISO ID
• Breeding Date
• Frozen Date (for frozen embryos)

In addition to the required items, other information that is useful when preparing to add embryos includes: 

• Embryo breed
• Straw or Vial details
• Embryo counts

1. To add a new frozen embryo, click the Options button at the top right of the Embryo Inventory page and select + Add Frozen Embryos.

2. Complete all required fields and any additional details for the embryos:



See the following definitions for help adding embryo details. All required fields are marked with the * (asterisk) symbol: 

• Sire: Indicates which bull’s semen was used to fertilize the donor's egg to produce the embryo. Start typing the sire's NAAB code, Name, or ISO ID to bring up matching animals, and then click to select the correct sire:

  

• Donor: The donor female who provided the embryo or oocyte An unfertilized egg. (sometimes referred to as the donor dam). Start typing the donor's ID, Name, BNAME Barn name, or ISO ID to bring up matching animals, and then click to select the correct donor:

  

  NOTE: the PULSE Platform supports adding embryos from donor animals that have died.
• Tank: The liquid nitrogen storage tank containing the cane with the embryo's straw.

• Type: The harvest method used:

  • Flush (for embryos)
  • IVF In-Vitro Fertilization. In relation to embryo transfers, IVF occurs when oocytes (eggs) are collected via OPU (ovum pick up), and then in a lab, semen is added to create embryos. (In Vitro Fertilization - for oocytes Unfertilized eggs.)
  • Other (for when the harvest method was neither of the above)
• Embryo Breed: The embryo breed. Select from the standard list of NAAB breeds.

• Breeding Date: The date the donor's eggs were fertilized with the sire's semen.

• Frozen @: Date the embryo was frozen.

• Freeze Method: The method used to freeze the embryo:  

  • Direct Transfer (DT): Also known as vitrification, the process of using high levels of cryoprotectant to quickly cool an embryo to freezing. A common cryoprotectant used for this process is ethylene glycol. DT is the most common method of freezing an embryo and is selected by default.

  • Slow: Also known as equilibrium freezing, the process of using low levels of cryoprotectant and a programmable freezing machine to slowly lower the temperature of the embryo to freezing.

• Stage: The stage at which the embryo was harvested:

  • 1 = Unfertilized
  • 2 = Simple Celled
  • 3 = Early Morula
  • 4 = Morula
  • 5 = Early Blastocyst
  • 6 = Blastocyst
  • 7 = Expanded Blastocyst
  • 8 = Hatched Blastocyst
  • 9 = Expanded and Hatched Blastocyst

• Grade: The quality of the embryo:

  • 1 = Good
  • 2 = Fair
  • 3 = Poor
  • 4 = Dead (or Degenerating)

• Cane: The container holding the embryo's straw.

• From Straw: The first straw number that contains this embryo.

• To Straw: The last straw number that contains this embryo. This allows the PULSE Platform to calculate the total number of embryos to be added. For instance, if you add embryos From Straw 6 To Straw 11, a total of 6 embryos are added. After you add From Straw and To Straw values, the Add button updates to include the straw/embryo count:

  

  NOTE: To add a single embryo, enter the same number in the From Straw and To Straw fields.

3. Click Add. A message indicates the total number of added embryos:
   

If you make an error in any of the entry fields, see Manage Embryos.

1. To add new fresh embryos, click the Options button at the top right of the Embryo Inventory page and select Add Fresh Embryos.

Complete all required fields and any additional details for the embryos.

See the following definitions for help adding embryo details. All required fields are marked with the * (asterisk) symbol: 

• Sire: Indicates which bull’s semen was used to fertilize the donor's egg to produce the embryo. Start typing the sire's NAAB code, Name, or ISO ID to bring up matching animals, and then click to select the correct sire:

  

• Donor: The donor female who provided the embryo or oocyte (sometimes referred to as the donor dam). Start typing the donor's ID, Name, BNAME, or ISO ID to bring up matching animals, and then click to select the correct donor:

  

  NOTE: the PULSE Platform supports adding embryos from donor animals that have died.

• Incubator: The warming unit containing the embryo's straw or vial.

• Type: The harvest method used:

  • Flush (for embryos)
  • IVF (In Vitro Fertilization - for oocytes Unfertilized eggs.)
  • Other (for when the harvest method was neither of the above)
• Embryo Breed: The embryo breed. Select from the standard list of NAAB breeds.

• Breeding Date: The date the donor's eggs were fertilized with the sire's semen.

• Stored In: The plastic Straw or Vial containing the embryo. Each straw contains a single embryo, while vials may contain multiple embryos.

  If Vial is selected, the following fields become available: 

  • Vial: The vial number for the embryo(s).
  • Embryos: Total number of identical embryos in the vial.

  If Straw is selected, the following fields become available:

• From Straw: The first straw number that contains this embryo.

• To Straw: The last straw number that contains this embryo. This allows the PULSE Platform to calculate the total number of embryos to be added. For instance, if you add embryos From Straw 6 To Straw 11, a total of 6 embryos are added. After you add From Straw and To Straw values, the Add button updates to include the straw/embryo count:
  

  NOTE: To add a single embryo, enter the same number in the From Straw and To Straw fields.

• Stage: The stage at which the embryo was harvested:

  • 1 = Unfertilized
  • 2 = Simple Celled
  • 3 = Early Morula
  • 4 = Morula
  • 5 = Early Blastocyst
  • 6 = Blastocyst
  • 7 = Expanded Blastocyst
  • 8 = Hatched Blastocyst
  • 9 = Expanded and Hatched Blastocyst

3. Click Add. A message indicates the total number of added embryos:
   

If you make an error in any of the entry fields, see Manage Embryos.