ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION APPARATUS

• US 3,877,430 A
• Filed: 07/17/1974
• Issued: 04/15/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Horst K. Wieder
• Original Assignee: Horst K. Wieder
• Inventors: Wieder, Horst K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGowan, J. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/489,169
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 128/218P,218D,234-238,261,260,272 222/386,386.5,92,105
• US Class Current: 604/232
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/43 for artificial insemination
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 19/027 Devices for injecting semen into animals, e.g. syringes, guns, probes

Abstract

Disposable apparatus to artificially inseminate animals includes ampoule, usually referred to as a straw. Semen is retained in the straw by a heat sealed closure at one end and a deformed resilient ball at the other which acts as both piston and seal. The straw is insertable in a disposable sheath tube after cutting off the heat sealed closure end. No gun is required. Contents of the straw are expelled with a disposable push rod acting on the ball to operate it as a piston. The device has the advantages of greater reliability and prevention of fraud. It reduces cost and eliminates all sterilization of equipment subsequent to original manufacture.

Claims

1. A straw assembly for the artificial insemination of animals, said straw assembly comprising the combination of:

a straw consisting of a tubular member of polymeric synthetic resinoUs material, said polymeric synthetic resinous material being heat sealable, said straw filled with semen-containing fluid, said straw heat sealed at one end to provide a heat sealed closure, said heat sealed closure being sealed to withstand internal liquid pressure applied thereto by the liquid within the straw of 50 pounds per square inch, said polymeric synthetic resinous material being relatively rigid, said walls being of sufficient thickness and said polymeric synthetic resinous material of sufficient rigidity so that said straw withstands an internal liquid pressure of 50 psi without leakage, a piston member received in said straw, said piston member disposed toward the opposite end of the straw from said heat sealed closure, said piston member being substantially spherical when not received in said straw, said piston member being of polymeric elastomeric material, said piston member being relatively resilient with respect to the rigidity of said walls of said straw, said piston member deformed as received in said straw into a substantially cylindrical member having convexedly extending ends, said piston member disposed to exert at least 50 pounds per square inch pressure on the contents of said straw when urged inwardly into said straw with a pusher member, without leakage of said contents past said piston member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said heat sealed closure is characterized by a displaced portion and an undisplaced portion of the wall of said straw, said displaced portion displaced into contact with said undisplaced portion and heat sealed thereto.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein a cross-sectional through said heat sealed closure taken on a plane normal to the axis of said straw is arcuate in form.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said cross-section is substantially semi-circular in form.

5. The combination of the device of claim 1 with a sheath tube and pusher member wherein:

said sheath tube is a tubular member having its internal and external dimensions gradually reduced at one end to provide a terminal orifice at said end, said orifice having an internal lateral dimension smaller than the internal lateral dimension of said straw, said sheath tube disposed to receive said straw after removal of said heat sealed closure from said straw to provide an open end of said straw, said gradually reduced portion of said sheath tube adapted to receive said open end abutted thereagainst, said pusher member having convexedly extending end to be received in said straw with said convexedly extending portion received against said piston member.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said piston member is deformed by said pusher member to provide said piston member with a shape being that of a cylindrical member disposed in said straw with one end disposed toward the interior of said straw and one end disposed toward the exterior of said straw and in contact with said pusher member, said end disposed toward the interior of said straw convexedly extending toward the interior of said straw and the other end which is in contact with said pusher member being concave and conforming to the convexedly extending end of said pusher member.

7. The article of claim 5 wherein said pusher member is received in said straw with said convexedly extending end of said pusher rod received against said piston member and said piston member extruded by pressure of said pusher member out of said open end of said straw and partially through said orifice of said sheath tube whereby to expel a maximum proportion of the contents of said straw outwardly from said straw and from the end of said sheath tube member adjacent the open end of said straw.