Lab Protocol

CUP Lab™ Protocol

Submission of Images

Images can be transferred to the CUP Lab™ via FTP/internet or by CD via courier or USPS. All images must be accompanied by a Chute Order Form (CORF), barnsheets, and payment.

Priority of Images

Images will be interpreted based on the date received in the CUP™Llab. Those received first will be interpreted first. The CUP Lab™ will adhere to a 7 working day turnaround. Sessions missing information will be put on hold and will be a lower priority to the Lab.

Payment

Payment on cattle processed is expected with the images. Payment schedule is as follows: purebred cattle reported to an association= $4/head; adjusted commercial data= $4/head; actual data=$2.50/head; research data= $2.50/head. The breeder or the technician can make this payment. Payment can be made by cash, check, money order, wire transfer, or credit card (Visa/MasterCard),

Data Reporting

Measurement data will be merged with barnsheet information in a database and sent electronically to the respective breed association for further processing. Ultrasound data will then be added to each breeds’ database. While it varies from Association to Association, the breeder will receive actual ultrasound information, adjusted data using the appropriate end points, and within contemporary group ratios. Most report EPD data and some breed associations supply sire averages for each contemporary group. The breeder will receive this information directly from the breed association and not the CUP Lab™.

Centralized processing will be accomplished upon arrival of complete scan information. Turn around time from receipt of a scan session will be 7 working days or less if paperwork is in order. On average you can expect a 2 to 3 day turnaround on complete and problem free scan sessions.

Image Interpretation

Upon receipt of images, CORF, barnsheets and payment from the field technician or breeder, CUP Lab™ employees will check to insure that all images have been received. Image processing interpreters are trained by the CUP Lab™ and certified by UGC. Image interpreters are under the direct supervision of the CUP Lab™ operations team. Quality control will be under the direct supervision of the CUP Lab™ manager.

Responsibilities of the interpretation technician will include the determination of image quality for interpretation (R=reject, M=marginal, A= acceptable) of fat thickness measurement, ribeye area measurement, rump fat measurement, and percentage intramuscular fat prediction, using UGC approved CUP Lab™ IMF Algorithms.

For Ribeye and rump fat images, if one technician marks the image as marginal, that image is tagged to be reinterpreted by the cross checker. If the cross checker marks the image as either marginal or acceptable the two interpretations should be within .5 sq. in. for ribeye area, and .05 in. for fat thickness or the image is rejected. If the 2^nd technician rejects the image, the image is rejected. For longitudinal images, data will not be used from any rejected images. Using data from marginal images will be at the discretion of the interpreting technician and the lab manager. An animal must have three independent data points for %IMF to be reported. If fewer than three data points the animal is rejected and will not have a IMF value reported.

Field technicians are required to have at least 90% acceptable images. A combination of rejected or marginal images that exceeds 10% could result in the technician being put on probation (see Memorandum of Agreement). Probationary status will be dropped when field technician submits images from 100 animals that have rejected and marginal scoring rates that meet these described standards. These rejected and marginal scoring rate standards are subject to change without notice.