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Published on: February 11, 2008
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Rheotaxis-based separation of sperm with progressive motility using a microfluidic corral system
Meisam Zaferani1, Soon Hon Cheong2, Alireza Abbaspourrad3
1Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Summary
This study introduces a microfluidic device for high-throughput separation of motile sperm, crucial for infertility treatments. The device isolates sperm with 100% normal progressive motility, offering a robust and controllable method for sperm sample preparation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Reproductive Biology
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Sperm separation is essential for assisted reproductive technologies and infertility treatments.
- Traditional methods for sperm separation can be time-consuming and may affect sperm viability.
- Developing efficient, high-throughput methods for isolating motile sperm is a significant clinical need.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a high-throughput microfluidic device for the passive isolation of motile sperm.
- To investigate the influence of flow rate on sperm rheotaxis and motility within the microfluidic device.
- To demonstrate the device's capability in separating human and bovine sperm with high purity and motility.
Main Methods:
- Utilized finite element method simulations to model sperm motion and rheotaxis.
- Designed a microfluidic device with corrals to passively trap motile sperm.
- Experimentally tested the device using human and bovine semen samples at varying flow rates.
- Analyzed sperm velocity and motility in separated fractions.
Main Results:
- The microfluidic device successfully isolated motile sperm with progressive velocities ranging from 48-93 μm·s⁻¹ (bovine) and 51-82 μm·s⁻¹ (human).
- Separated sperm fractions from both human and bovine samples exhibited 100% normal progressive motility.
- The flow rate was shown to control the minimum velocity of corralled sperm, allowing adjustment of sample motility.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic device offers a simple, robust, and high-throughput solution for motile sperm separation.
- The device leverages sperm rheotaxis for efficient isolation, achieving high purity and motility.
- This technology holds promise for improving sperm sample preparation for medical treatments, clinical applications, and research.
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