Automation of bull semen analysis through the development of a modular open technology device for cryopreservation

Abstract

Abstract Bull semen quality analysis is an important step before processing frozen semen for artificial insemination. Transportation from the shelter to the laboratory can reduce semen quality and kill the spermatozoa. This study aimed to develop a prototype that can automatically analyse bull semen quality using a modular open-technology device with multi-digital sensors that is comparable to standard laboratory measurements. The prototype components consisted of the following: (1) input: syringe as the semen container to be tested, do-it-yourself (DIY) water level sensor for volume measurement, Total Dissolve Solid (TDS) sensor for viscosity measurement, pH sensor for pH value measurement, and Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) for colour measurement; (2) process: Arduino Mega 2560 as a microcontroller; and (3) output: Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) 16x2 for displaying the measurement. The results showed that the coefficients of determination for the volume, TDS, and pH sensors were 1, 0.9993, and 0.9987, respectively. Data from the TDS and LDR sensor calibration results showed three viscosity levels (low: 300-599 ppm, moderate: 600-999 ppm, and high: 1.000-1.400 ppm) and three colour quality values (cloudy white: 40-59 Ω, milky white: 60-89 Ω, and creamy white: 90-130 Ω). The device developed was able to analyse semen quality in less than 5s and was displayed on an LCD screen.