Compact and light-weight automated semen analysis platform using lensfree on-chip microscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microscopy
• Reproductive Biology

Background:

• Semen analysis is crucial for fertility assessment.
• Traditional methods are often bulky and require trained personnel.
• There is a need for portable, automated, and cost-effective semen analysis solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a compact, lightweight, and lensfree on-chip microscope for automated semen analysis.
• To enable quantitative assessment of sperm count, motility, and trajectories.
• To explore applications in fertility clinics, personal testing, and veterinary medicine.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a holographic on-chip imaging platform without lenses or lasers.
• Acquired phase and amplitude images of sperm over a 24 mm(2) field-of-view.
• Employed digital subtraction and summation of holographic frames for automated sperm quantification.

Main Results:

• Achieved automated quantification of motile sperm count, speed, and trajectories.
• Enabled counting of immotile sperm using frame summation.
• Demonstrated a platform weighing approximately 46 g with dimensions of 4.2 x 4.2 x 5.8 cm.

Conclusions:

• The developed lensfree on-chip microscope offers a compact and efficient solution for automated semen analysis.
• This technology has significant potential for improving fertility diagnostics in clinical and personal settings.
• The platform's portability makes it suitable for field applications in veterinary medicine, including stud farming and animal breeding.