Gamechanger
At first glance the programmable semen freezer in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center’s Theriogenology Service look pretty unremarkable.
Closed, it looks like a big briefcase or small suitcase.
But Derek Kraayenbrink, the service’s Cyrolaboratory coordinator says otherwise.
“It’s definitely a gamechanger for us,” he says.
The programmable freezer or controlled-rate freezer is critical to semen cyropreservation because it precisely manages the rate of cooling at every phase of the freezing curve.
“Sperm cells are exceptionally vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and manual freezing methods lack the control need to maximize post-thaw motility, acrosome integrity and membrane viability,” Kraayenbrink said. “This allows for better post thaw semen results which means more offspring.”
The programmable freezer is also portable, making it available to clients not only in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center but out in the field as well. It can be used for a variety of species include canine, equine, small ruminants, and bovine, all of which the LVMC Theriogenology Service works with.
That’s important because sperm plasma membrane lipid composition varies significantly between these species.
“This programmable system will allow us to establish species-tailored or extender-tailored profiles to optimize survival rates for sensitive or poor-freezing ejaculate,” Kraayenbrink said.
The new freezer will also avoid several other issues associated with the service including avoiding intracellular ice formation, preventing severe osmotic stress, allows for distinct temperature ramps, and will eliminate human error.
September 2026