Quality Control

At Origin Sperm Bank, we follow strict quality control measures to ensure that all our specimens have optimal quality. Following the freezing of each specimen, a proportionate aliquot is thawed after a minimum of 24 hours to assess the number of motile sperm per vial.

Origin Sperm Bank guarantees:
 

• In Standard and Pre-washed preparations – a minimum of 10 million motile sperm per vial post-thaw
• In IVF/ICSI vials – a minimum of five million motile sperm per vial post-thaw

A Guaranteed Laboratory Report is provided with each specimen documenting the specimen parameters before freezing and after thawing.

Should a Donor Sample Have Quality Concerns 

In the unlikely event that there are concerns about the quality of the specimen, your clinic should notify Origin Sperm Bank within five business days from the thaw date. If we need to start a specimen quality investigation, all sections of the Quality Complaint Reporting Form need to be completed and forwarded to the attention of the lab director.

Email: [email protected] 
Fax: 416-233-9180

Download a copy of the form. A copy of the clinic's laboratory report should be attached to the form. We will investigate and respond as quickly as we can, but please allow a minimum of 10 business days to process the request.

Conditions:

1. The receiving clinic should strictly adhere to the thawing instructions included with every specimen shipped from Origin Sperm Bank. In addition, proper protocols for specimen evaluation, such as the use of a warm stage (37°) during sperm motility assessment, should be followed.
2. Origin Sperm Bank guarantees the specimen quality immediately following thawing; this does not extend to cover the quality following further processing done at the recipient laboratory.
3. Origin Sperm Bank will initiate a specimen quality investigation only upon receipt of the requested information from the treating physicians or their designate. The results of our investigation will be conveyed directly to the treating physicians or their designates.
4. Variability in specimen assessment is generally accepted as per the World Health Organization (WHO) standard guidelines, 1999 depending on personnel and counting methods used. Therefore, it’s possible that the values estimated at the recipient laboratory will be lower than our guaranteed minimum values. This does necessarily indicate the specimen does not meet the standards. Analytical variation will be considered before determining if the specimen is eligible for replacement.
5. Origin Sperm Bank does not guarantee storage conditions outside its premises. Since our cryo-shippers can maintain vials for up to seven days, we can only guarantee specimens that have been thawed within seven days of the shipping date. All issues should be reported within five business days of thawing.
6. In the event of defective specimen quality, Origin Sperm Bank liability is limited to supplying a replacement specimen. We are not liable for any consequential expenses, including but not limited to those incurred by the patient during infertility treatment. Shipping costs cannot be refunded unless specimens are compromised by the shipping process.

Quality Commitment for Imported Donor Samples