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Accu-Beads as a quality control measure for manual and automated methods of measuring sperm concentration—an observational study

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine the precision and accuracy of Accu-Beads and their utility as a quality control product for manual and automated measurements of sperm concentration.

Methods

This observational study was performed at an Assisted Reproductive Technology laboratory in a tertiary-care, university hospital. To simulate sperm concentration, bead concentrations were measured with the use of a manual and an automated method.

Results

The manual counts did not vary significantly from the automated counts regardless of the concentration. However, the counts did vary between lots of low concentration of Accu-Beads and between the two different types of fixed counting chambers. The two bead concentrations used in this study were below the 95 % confidence interval for the values listed by the manufacturer.

Conclusion(s)

In our laboratory, Accu-Beads met enough of the requirements of a good control material to be acceptable for daily quality control use, especially if we set our own ranges of acceptability for each vial of Accu-Beads. It is necessary to evaluate each new lot of Accu-Beads when they are received and again if they are used with a different counting chamber.

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Conflicts of interest

None of the authors has a conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Experience Academy, Greenville Health System, Greenville, SC, USA

    Darian D. Vernon

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Health System, University Medical Group, 890 W. Faris Road, Suite 470, Greenville, SC, 29605, USA

    Jane E. Johnson, Angela M. Houwing, H. Lee Higdon III & William R. Boone

Authors
  1. Darian D. Vernon
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  2. Jane E. Johnson
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  3. Angela M. Houwing
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  4. H. Lee Higdon III
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  5. William R. Boone
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to William R. Boone.

Additional information

Capsule

Accu-Beads can be used as a quality control material for manual and automated measurements of sperm concentration.

All funds for this research came from within the Medical Experience Academy and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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Vernon, D.D., Johnson, J.E., Houwing, A.M. et al. Accu-Beads as a quality control measure for manual and automated methods of measuring sperm concentration—an observational study. J Assist Reprod Genet 31, 25–33 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0107-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0107-x

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