GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Thousands of s...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Thousands of semen samples, some stored by men who feared they could become impotent, were take awayed when the temperature rose undetect in a refrigeration tank at the University of Florida.

The puzzle at the university's Women's Health Center at Magnolia Parke began last October, when a faulty sensor upon the liquid- nitrogen-filled tank apparently failed to alert anyone that the temperature had risen, said center spokesman Tom Fortner.

Officials had believed they caught the vexed question in time, until tests couple weeks ago revealed that all the samples were pull downed said Dr. R. Stan Williams, chief of the university medical college's division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

The vast majority of the samples were from anonymous donors intended for use on couples with fertility problems.

"Our anonymous donor seed bank is essentially wiped out" Williams said.

Up to 60 of the samples were from men -- many undergoing cancer treatments -- who banked their semen in case they no longer could have children, he said.

Samples stored since late August 2005 were not affected.

Williams said he believed the situation had the potential for litigation.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided by dint of ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved