GB2070437A

GB2070437A - Apparatus for transferring animal reproduction elements, especially embryos or semen

Info

Publication number: GB2070437A
Application number: GB8103202A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-02-29
Filing date: 1981-02-03
Publication date: 1981-09-09
Also published as: FR2477006B1; JPS56130147A; DE3106306A1; BR8100917A; FR2477006A1; DE3106306C2; IN155189B

Abstract

Apparatus for the transfer of animal embryos or the like comprises a body (1) in which can be engaged a reservoir tube (4) and in which is also mounted slidingly a piston rod (5), a protective sheath (7) surrounding this body and the end of the tube which bears against a nozzle (8) accommodated in the end of the sheath. The free end (7b) of the sheath (7) is substantially cylindrical and that the nozzle (8) is disposed so as to project beyond the extreme edge of the sheath (7), the end (7b) of the sheath being fixed around the nozzle (8), while the nozzle presents internally, beyond the bearing zone of the reservoir tube (4), a perfectly smooth internal surface. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for transferring animal reproduction elements, particularly embryos The present invention relates to apparatus for transferring, or placing, animal reproduction elements, such as artificial insemination apparatus for placing semen or embryo transfer apparatus for placing embryos, especially for cattle, of the type comprising, on one hand, a hollow cylindrical body presenting a first end in which can be engaged a reservoir tube for said elements so that the tube projects beyond this end, and a second end in which is slidingly mounted a piston rod whose length is approximately equal to that of the body and which projects beyond this end, and, on the other hand, a protective sheath whose length is approximately equal to that of the body and which surrounds both the body over practically its whole length, being held fixed on the body in the vicinity of its second end of the tube bearing axially against a nozzle which presents a central passage and is itself accommodated in the end of the sheath and is solid with the sheath.

Such an apparatus enables the reproduction elements contained in the reservoir tube to be expelled from it, using the piston rod, the apparatus, of course, having been previously introduced into the interior of the vagina and the uterus of the animal. The sheath and its nozzle are replaced after each use, which avoids having to steriiise the apparatus itself each time.

Apparatus of this type are already known, for example from French Patent No. 7621 438 (publication 2358136) of the Applicant, which are specially designed for artificial insemination, and in which the end of the protective sheath presents a convergent shape ending in an edge which is folded in a U towards the inside and which defines an axial outlet orifice at the end, the nozzle being entirely disposed inside the sheath and itself bearing against the convergent part of the sheath.

Now, if such an arrangement is acceptable for artificial insemination, it is no longer acceptable for embryo transfer, since, in this case, the embryo ejected out of the reservoir tube risks touching the folded edge of the sheath and thus being damaged seriously, thus leading to lesions or malformations in the animal to be borne, which will only be observed at birth.

For this reason, the present invention has as object to provide an apparatus of the kind referred to which can be used not only for artificial insemination but also and especially for embryo transfer, without risk of damage to the embryos.

To this end, the invention provides an apparatus of the kind referred to above characterised in that the free end of the sheath is substantially cylindrical, and in that the nozzle is disposed so as to project beyond the extreme edge of the sheath, the end of the sheath being fixed round the nozzle, whereas the nozzle presents internally, beyond the zone, on which the reservoir tube bears, a perfectly smooth internal surface.

Due to this arrangement, the embryo ejected from the reservoir tube only passes through the perfectly smooth passage of the nozzle and runs no risk of being damaged.

In a particularly advantageous way, it can be arranged that the bearing zone of the nozzle if formed by a first part of the internal passage of the nozzle disposed on the same side as the body of the apparatus and which is connected to said smooth internal surface of the nozzle, the radial dimension of this bearing part being always greater than the biggest radial dimension of said smooth surface. Thus, even when the sheath and its nozzle are pulled strongly into bearing contact with the reservoir tube and the end of the tube is slightly squashed by the bearing zone, the edge of the reservoir tube does not project beyond the smallest diameter of the bearing zone, thus forming no obstacle relative to the smooth internal surface of the nozzle in which the embryo is to pass, so that the embryo is no way risks being damaged as it comes out of the reservoir tube.

Also, preferably, it can advantageously be arranged that the part of the nozzle which projects beyond the sheath is separated from the part which is housed in the sheath by a radial shoulder against which the extreme edge of the sheath bears and which presents the same radial dimension as this edge.

Thus, simultaneously, the outer surface of the assembly comprising the sheath and the end of the nozzle presents a perfectly smooth outer surface, so that the end of the apparatus runs no risk of damaging the mucous membrane of the animal which is to receive the embryo either. It will be seen therefore that all precautions are taken to avoid lesions both of the embryo and of the animal which receives it.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, given by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 represents a view, in separate parts, of an apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 2 represents a detailed view to enlarged scale of the end of this apparatus, comprising a nozzle according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 represents a view corresponding to Fig. 2, with a nozzle, according to a second embodiment of the invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the embryo transfer apparatus represented comprises firstly a hollow cylindrical body 1 which is formed by the engagement one within the other of two metallic tubes 1 a and 1 b, the tube 1 b being shorter than the other so that at one end it comes flush with the tube 1 a, while at the other end it offers a shoulder 2 situated at a certain distance from the end of the tube 1 a. At the other end, the assembly of these two tubes is surrounded by a third part 3 forming a holding handle.

This body can thus receive a cylindrical reservoir tube, called a "paillette" (straw), containing a suspension solution in which are one or more embryos to be placed. This reservoir tube presents substantially the same diameter as the tube 1 b so that at one end it abuts against the shoulder 2 which the tube 1 b presentS, whereas its opposite end projects slightly beyond the end of the tube 1 a.

In addition, there is provided a piston rod 5, whose diameter enables it to be slidingly fitted within the tube 1 b of the body, this piston rod presenting a knob 6 which can be gripped, and which remains outside the body adjacent the head 3 of the body when the rod 5 is engaged in the body. The length of the body is such that its opposite end extends to act, through a plug element provided for the purpose, within the reservoir tube 4, to push the entire contents of the tube towards its free end. The length of the rod 5 is arranged to be sufficient to enable the contents to be completely ejected when the two heads 3 and 6 come into contact with one another.

The assembly is completed by a protective sheath made in a rigid material such as polyvinyl chloride, this sheath 7, like the rod 5, having substantially the same length as the body 1 and being cylindrical over practically its whole length.

Its inner diameter enables it to surround and practically fit with the body 1 and one of its ends 7a is held fixed onto a truncated cone shaped part, provided for the purpose, of the head 3 by a grip ring (not shown).

At its other end, the sheath 7 is fitted with an internal nozzle which will now be described in more detail.

As shown in Fig. 2, the sheath 7 is very precisely cylindrical over its whole length, including its end 7b. The nozzle 8 is a member of elongate hollow shape made in a semi-rigid material, for example polyethylene or flexible polyvinyl chloride. The overall length of this nozzle is substantially of the order of twice its diameter.

The outer surface of this nozzle presents, adjacent the body 1, a first part 9 which is exactly cylindrical and which extends over most of the length of the nozzle. Beyond this cylindrical part 9, is provided a second part 10 of slightly greater diameter, which is connected to the part 9 by a radial shoulder 11.

The outer diameter of the cylindrical part 9 corresponds very precisely to the inner diameter of the sheath 7, so that the end 7b of the sheath fits precisely this surface, its extreme edge abutting in the axial direction against the shoulder 11. The end of the sheath is fixed, for example by glucing to the surface 9.

The end part of the nozzle, which thus projects out from the end of the sheath 7, presents a shape slightly converging towards its extreme end 13 so as to form a curve shaped substantially as a portion of a dome, which ensures optimum sliding of the end of the apparatus, and avoids as far as possible the risks of damage to the animal's mucous membrane.

The internal passage 1 4 of the nozzle comprises successively two surfaces, one disposed adjacent to the body 1, and presenting a truncated cone shape converging away from the body 1, with a relatively large cone angle, for example 300, this first part, or bearing zone for the reservoir tube connecting at its smaller diameter with a second part 1 4b which forms a passage with a perfectly smooth surface, of gentle truncated cone shape converging towards the end 13 of the nozzle, with a smail cone angle of the order of 50 for example.

The cylindrical wall of this nozzle is relatively thick on average, its thickness being substantially of the same order of magnitude as the smaller diameter of the passage 14 near its end 1 3 which forms an axial outlet orifice at the end. Given that the outer diameter of the reservoir tube 4 corresponds to the inner diameter of the tube 1 a of the body, the end of the reservoir tube comes up against the bearing surface 1 4a of the nozzle at its outermost zone.

However, during assembly, the sheath 7 and its nozzle 8 are pulled onto the sub-assembly of the body 1 and the reservoir tube 4 and, the edge 4a of the reservoir tube coming into contact with the bearing surface 1 4a at its outermost part, the user applies a certain traction to the sheath 7, and thus to the nozzle 8, until the opposite end 7a of the sheath is fixed on the head 3 of the body, this traction movement causing slight squashing of the end of the reservoir tube, the tube bending slightly inwards as it mates with the truncated cone shape of the surface 1 4a, but still without the extreme edge of the reservoir tube projecting radially beyond the diameter of the circle 1 5 at the connection of the two surfaces 1 4a and 1 4b.

It will thus be seen that the assembly comprising the reservoir tube 4, the nozzle 8 and the sheath 7 presents both an internal surface offering no obstacle to the ejection of the embryo and no external projection risking damage to the mucous membrane of the animal receiving the embryo either.

In the variant of Fig. 3, the nozzle 8a presents internally exactly the same shape of passage 14 as the nozzle 8, but its outer surface 9 consists successively of a first cylindrical part 9a situated adjacent the body 1 of the apparatus and extended by a second part 9b of truncated cone shape converging towards the larger diameter end. It follows therefore from the converging shape of the second part 9b of this outer surface that the end part 1 Oa presents radial dimensions less than in the embodiment of Fig. 2.

This end part 1 Oa also presents a shoulder 11 of the same radial dimension, however, so that the end 7b of the sheath, which is normally perfectly cylindrical during assembly as far as its end as shown in full lines, can be tightened down exactly into contact with the truncated cone surface 9b, as shown in chain dotted lines in the drawing.

As a resuit, the extreme edge 12 of the sheath is also perfectly fitted to the shoulder 11, so that together they also offer a perfectly smooth outer surface which can in no way damage the mucous membrane of the animal. The sheath is fixed to the nozzle in the same way of course, for example by glucing.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in transferring animal reproduction elements especially animal embryos, comprising a protective sheath and a nozzle secured in the end of the sheath, said nozzle presenting an axial passage, said sheath and nozzle being adapted to receive an elongate hollow cylindrical body and a reservoir tube for said reproductive elements inserted in a first end of said body and projecting therefrom, a piston slidingly mounted in said body and actuable from a second end of said body to eject said reproductive elements through said passage of the nozzle, and means for grippingly engaging said sheath with said body adjacent said second end thereof, characterised in that the end of said sheath includes a cylindrical portion engaging said nozzle, said nozzle projecting beyond the end of said sheath and terminating in an outlet orifice at the end of said passage, the internal surface of said nozzle presenting a bearing zone for bearing against the end of said reservoir tube, and said passage defining, between said bearing zone and said outlet orifice, a smooth internal surface.

2. Apparatus for use in transferring animal reproduction elements, especially embryos, comprising an elongate hollow cylindrical body, a protective sheath, a nozzle secured in the end of the sheath, said nozzle presenting an axial passage, said sheath and nozzle being adapted to receive said body with a reservoir tube for said reproductive elements inserted in a first end of said body and projecting therefrom, a piston for mounting slidingly in said body to be actuated from a second end of said body to eject said reproductive elements through said passage of the nozzle, and means for grippingly engaging said sheath with said body adjacent said second end thereof, characterised in that the end of said sheath includes a cylindrical portion engaging said nozzle, said nozzle projecting beyond the end of said sheath and terminating in an outlet orifice at the end of said passage, the internal surface of said nozzle presenting a bearing zone for bearing against the end of said reservoir tube, and said passage defining, between said bearing zone and said outlet orifice, a smooth internal surface.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the part of the nozzle projecting out of the sheath is separated from the part which is accommodated therein by a radial shoulder against which the extreme edge of the sheath abuts axially, and which presents the same radial dimension as this edge.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 characterised in that the part of the nozzle which is accommodated in the sheath presents over its whole length an outer cylindrical surface whose diameter is equal to the inner diameter of the sheath, which itself is constant over its whole length.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 characterised in that the part of the nozzle which is accommodated in the sheath presents, at least in a part of its length adjacent to the shoulder, a truncated cone surface converging towards this shoulder, the end part of the sheath being applied, starting from its initial cylindrical shape, by tightening into contact with this truncated cone surface.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterised in that the part of the nozzle which is accommodated in the sheath also presents a cylindrical surface beyond its truncated cone surface and opposed to the shoulder.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim characterised in that said bearing zone connects directly with said passage, the radial dimension of said bearing zone being greater than the greatest radial dimension of said passage.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterised in that the bearing part presents an internal truncated cone surface converging towards said smooth surface and whose smallest diameter is substantially smaller than the free state diameter of the reservoir tube.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim characterised in that said passage presents a truncated cone shape converging towards said outlet orifice.

10. Apparatus for use in transferring animal reproduction elements, especially animal embryos, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.