Enhanced discrimination of normal oocytes using optically induced pulling-up dielectrophoretic force

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Reproductive Biology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) requires accurate selection of viable oocytes.
• Current oocyte selection methods can be subjective and time-consuming.
• Optoelectrofluidic platforms offer potential for automated cell manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an automated method for discriminating normal oocytes using optoelectrofluidics.
• To enhance oocyte discrimination performance by combining dielectrophoresis (DEP) and gravity.
• To establish a foundation for an interactive tool for selecting fertilizable oocytes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an optoelectrofluidic platform with projected dynamic images from a liquid crystal display.
• Applied optically induced positive dielectrophoresis (DEP) combined with gravity.
• Optimized voltage conditions (10 V bias at 1 MHz) for oocyte manipulation.
• Analyzed oocyte movement velocity differences under specific image patterns.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated enhanced discrimination of normal oocytes by reducing friction forces.
• Achieved spontaneous discrimination of normal oocytes based on differential movement velocities.
• Identified specific voltage and frequency conditions (10 V, 1 MHz) effective for moving normal oocytes.
• Showcased increased velocity differences between normal and abnormal oocytes.

Conclusions:

• The developed optoelectrofluidic DEP method effectively discriminates normal oocytes.
• Combining DEP with gravity improves selection accuracy for larger, heavier cells like oocytes.
• This approach facilitates the development of automated, interactive tools for fertilizable oocyte selection in IVF.