Frequently Asked Questions
Our Services:
D's Diagnostic Services
Q. What is BioPRYN®?
    A. BioPRYN® is a blood pregnancy test for ruminants, and has specific appeal for
    the  commercial U.S. livestock industries, because it delivers fast, accurate, safe and
    economical pregnancy diagnostic results.
Q. What does the test name stand for?
    A. The test’s name is a partial acronym for “Pregnant Ruminant Yes/No,” and the
    technology works on all ruminants, A specific test using ELISA technology, which
    produces fast results, has been develop for use exclusively in cattle.
Q. How does BioPRYN® detect pregnancies?
    A. BioPRYN® evaluates the blood (more specifically, the serum or plasma) of
    ruminants for a protein called Pregnancy Specific Protein B (PSPB). PSPB is
    produced by the placenta, and therefore pregnant animals will have the protein in
    their blood. This makes the test more accurate than earlier attempts at pregnancy
    diagnosis that evaluated blood or milk for progesterone or other hormones that can
    occur in normally cycling animals.
Q. How early in a pregnancy can animals be tested with BioPRYN®?
    A. Heifers and lactating cows can be tested at 28 days or later after breeding.
    Lactating cows have residual PSPB from the previous pregnancy until 90 days after
    calving. To be safe in not getting a false-positive result, breeders are cautioned to
    take the sample at 28 days or more after breeding, and 73 days or more after
    calving. Thus if a cow is bred at 45 days after calving, it is appropriate to take the 28
    days post-breeding sample, which is 73 days after calving. If she is bred at 55 days
    after calving, then the post-breeding sample should be taken at 23 days so that the
    cow is 73 days post-calving. Animals that are detected open can then be
    immediately returned to aggressive breeding programs using Lutalyse®, CIDRs®
    and/orOvSynch®.
Q. What is the accuracy of BioPRYN®?
    A. BioPRYN® has been shown to have an overall accuracy rate of 97 percent. In fact,
    the test is over 99 percent accurate if the cow is called not pregnant, with less than 1
    percent showing false-open (false-negative). Correct open detection is very
    important because giving Lutalyse or other synchronizing drugs to misdiagnosed
    pregnant cows will cause abortion.
    The false-pregnant (false-positive) rate for the test is approximately 5 percent. In
    practice, high-producing dairy cows tend to show slightly higher false-positive rates
    of 7 to 8 percent, especially during periods of extremely hot weather. It is presumed
    that a portion of this variance is due to higher early embryonic death, and not to test
    inaccuracy.
Q. How much does BioPRYN® cost?
    A. The test itself costs $2.50 from the laboratory that processes it, plus the cost of a
    sample tube and needle. Shipping expenses also must be added if the tests are not
    processed locally.
Q. How long does it take to receive the test results?
    A. The test requires 27 hours from laboratory set-up to reporting. A report can be
    made for the next working day for samples arriving in the lab before noon. If
    samples are mailed by overnight carrier, add an extra day to this schedule. Results
    are e-mailed or faxed back to the farm.
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