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Thawing Vials for Insemination

Thawing Frozen Donor Sperm is a fairly simple procedure. Follow these steps to ensure the vial is properly handled prior to insemination.

I. RECEIPT OF TANK

Please check the tank as soon as it arrives. Refer to the Packing Slip for order verification, contents, and specific details about tank guarantee and tank return deadlines.

California Cryobank ships specimens in "dry" shippers. You will see very little, if any, "liquid" inside the tank. Do Not Touch Any Liquid That May Be Present With A Bare Hand.

TANK HANDLING:

  1. Do not remove the tank from the box. Save the box for your return shipment.
  2. Wear gloves and protective eye wear when opening the tank or handling vials.
  3. Cut the blue tie seal. If the seal is broken or missing, do not use the specimen. Call the CCB Client Services Department immediately at 310.443.5244 ext. 7100.
  4. Lift the cap off the tank carefully by raising the cap straight up. Do not twist!

VIAL REMOVAL:

  1. Lift the inner canister by the handle and carefully remove the cane from the canister. Do not expose vial(s) to the room temperature for more than 30 seconds.
  2. Compate Packing Slip and vial(s) to verify the correct donor number, item description and quantity received.
  3. Select the appropriate vial. If more than one was received, keep the remaining vial(s) in the tank.
  4. Replace tank cap to prevent loss of refrigerant.

II. THAWING AND UTILIZATION OF SPECIMENS

  1. Place frozen vial in 37°C (98°F) water bath for 10 minutes. Note: Temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) will severely decrease motility.
  2. When the specimen is completely thawed, remove it from the water batch and gently mix.
  3. For ICI specimens (intracervical insemination), aspirate the contents into your insemination device. The specimen is now ready for an intracervical insemination. If ICI specimens are to be used for intrauterine insemination or other methods by a medical professional, further specialized processing techniques are required. ICI-prepared vials have no green band.
  4. IUI specimens (intrauterine inseminations), Do Not Require Further Processing. These vials have been washed prior to freezing to remove seminal plasma, round cells, and non-motile sperm. IUI-prepared vials are labeled with a green band. (Note: Client semen depositor IUI-prepared vials have no green band.)

III. AT-HOME INSEMINATION

  1. CCB recommends having all medical procedures performed by a trained professional to maximize your chances of a successful pregnancy. However, we do have clients that have been successful with at-home inseminations. For those interested in learning more about the at-home procedure or obtaining an at-home insemination kit, we recommend visiting Conceivex for information on their Conception Kit or Sepal for information on The Total Conception Kit.