• What diluent has been added to PureSperm® to produce PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80?

- PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80 are optimised products in their own right; they are not diluted PureSperm®100. However, the colloid, salts and buffering capacity of these products have been optimised to provide the ideal "40%" and "80%" gradient layers.

• Is there any human serum albumin in PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80?

- Research in our laboratory showed that the yield of motile sperm recovered from the gradient was approximately the same, regardless of whether or not the gradient layers contained human serum albumin. Therefore, we have not included any protein in PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80. The colloid in these products eliminates aggregation of sperm and reduces their sticking to the centrifuge tube. However, human serum albumin must be added to the "wash" solution, as provided in PureSperm®Wash.

• Are antibiotics included in PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80?

- No, PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80 do not contain antibiotics, for the following reasons: 1. The gradient will remove most, if not all, of the bacterial contamination present in the ejaculate, provided that the retrieval of the sperm pellet is carried out according to the instructions given in the package insert. 2. Antibiotics commonly used in cell culture media are toxic to sperm.

• What is the buffer component of PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80?

- PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80 contain Hepes buffer to avoid fluctuations in pH which might be harmful to sperm.

• What should be used for washing the sperm pellet after the PureSperm® 40 and PureSperm® 80 gradient centrifugation?

- We recommend PureSperm® Wash for washing the sperm pellet after gradient centrifugation. The ionic balance of PureSperm® Wash lies between that of the gradient and commonly used fertilisation media and, therefore, will not cause premature hyperactivation of the sperm. PureSperm® Wash is also ready-to-use and contains an appropriate level of human serum albumin.

• Do we need to incubate PS100 and PS40/80 in 6% CO2 , 37°C before use?

- The most important to avoid is temperature fluctuations for the sperm. The ejaculate is approximately around room temperature or slightly higher. Therefore we recommend equilibrating PureSperm to room temperature, not more. The preparation is also done at room temperature and therefore the temperature is still maintained.

Human Products