Sperm staining and sorting methods
AssigneeInguran, LLC
InventorsKenneth Michael Evans, Thomas B. Gilligan, Clara Gonzalez-Marin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of sex sorting sperm is disclosed. The sperm may be stained with a DNA selective fluorescent dye, which fluoresces when excited, a dead quenching dye, which selectively quenches fluorescence emitted by the DNA selective fluorescent dye within the membrane of compromised sperm, and a split enhancing dye. The stained sperm may then sorted into one or more gender enriched subpopulations of viable sperm.
Claims23
1-35. (canceled)
A method of gender enriching one or more sperm subpopulations comprising the steps of:
- a. obtaining a population of sperm including X-chromosome bearing sperm and Y-chromosome bearing sperm;
- b. staining at least a portion of the population of sperm with a DNA selective fluorescent dye which fluoresces when excited;
- c. staining said portion of the population of sperm with a dead quenching dye for selectively quenching fluorescence emitted by the DNA selective fluorescent dye in membrane compromised sperm, wherein the dead quenching dye is a yellow dye, an orange dye or an orangish-red dye;
- and
- d. sorting the stained sperm into one or more gender enriched subpopulations of viable sperm.
The method of 36 wherein the dead quenching dye differentially permeates membrane compromised sperm so that unquenched sperm are enriched with respect to sperm viability compared to the population of sperm.
A sex sorted sperm suspension comprising:
- a. viable, sex sorted sperm associated with a DNA selective fluorescent dye;
- b. a medium supporting sperm viability;
- c. a first dye;
- and
- d. a second dye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.