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Sperm Collection of Differential Quality Using Density Gradient Centrifugation
Published on: November 29, 2018
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Tunable motile sperm separation based on sperm persistence in migrating through shear barriers
Mohammadjavad Bouloorchi Tabalvandani1, Zahra Saeidpour1, Zahra Habibi1
1MEMS Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Biomicrofluidics
|November 29, 2024
Summary
This study introduces a microfluidic chip that uses rheotaxis and boundary-following to select highly motile sperm. The device effectively isolates viable sperm with improved motility parameters in just 20 minutes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Microfluidics
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Rheotaxis is a key migratory behavior for microorganisms like sperm.
- Current sperm sorting methods can be time-consuming or affect sperm viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microfluidic device for efficient sperm selection based on motility.
- To utilize joint rheotaxis and boundary-following behaviors for sperm sorting.
Main Methods:
- A microfluidic chip with diamond-shaped pillars was designed to create hydrodynamic barriers.
- The chip leverages differential responses of sperm to velocity fields and shear rates.
- Sperm motility and persistence were used as selection criteria.
Main Results:
- The device successfully separated highly motile sperm from a raw semen sample.
- Sorted sperm exhibited enhanced motility parameters, including linear straight velocity, curvilinear velocity, and average path velocity (over 35% improvement).
- The sperm remained viable and motile after the sorting process, with a processing time of 20 minutes.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic chip offers an efficient and rapid method for selecting high-quality sperm.
- This technology has potential applications in assisted reproductive technologies and fertility research.
- The combined use of rheotaxis and boundary-following provides a novel approach to sperm sorting.
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