Production of Handmade Open Pulled Straw (OPS) Using Digital Heating Gun for the Vitrification Process

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Cryopreservation techniques
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Vitrification is the preferred method for cryopreserving oocytes and embryos, surpassing traditional slow freezing.
• Developing efficient methods for preparing vitrification devices is crucial for successful cryopreservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate efficient manufacturing methods for handmade open pulled straws (OPS) using a digital heating gun.
• To determine optimal heating parameters for OPS production for vitrification applications.

Main Methods:

• Manufacturing of handmade OPS using 0.5 mL and 0.25 mL straws with a digital heating gun.
• Varying heating times and temperatures to assess production efficiency and OPS inner diameter.
• Analyzing production rates based on straw volume and heat settings.

Main Results:

• Production efficiency of OPS varied significantly with heating time and temperature for both 0.5 mL and 0.25 mL straws.
• The 0.25 mL straw achieved higher production efficiency (up to 95.2%) compared to the 0.5 mL straw (up to 90.5%) under optimized conditions.
• The inner diameter of OPS could be adjusted (200-300 μm) to accommodate different gamete sizes, embryo stages, or cell lines.

Conclusions:

• Handmade OPS can be efficiently produced using a digital heating gun, serving as a viable vitrification device.
• The 0.25 mL straw offers superior production efficiency for handmade OPS manufacturing.
• These findings support the use of digital heating guns for the routine production of OPS for cryopreserving gametes, embryos, and cell lines.