Embryology and clinical outcomes after sperm preparation using microfluidic sperm sorting versus density gradient...

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• In Vitro Fertilization
• Sperm Sorting Technologies

Background:

• Standard density gradient centrifugation (DGC) is a common method for sperm selection in assisted reproductive technologies.
• Microfluidic devices offer a potential alternative for sperm processing with improved efficiency and sperm quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the laboratory and clinical outcomes of the ZyMōt microfluidic sperm sorting device against the standard DGC technique in ICSI cycles.
• To evaluate the impact of ZyMōt on sperm parameters, fertilization, embryo development, and pregnancy/live birth rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1,091 ICSI cycles using ZyMōt and 1,176 cycles using DGC.
• Assessment of sperm DNA fragmentation, motility, fertilization rates, blastocyst development, embryo euploidy, and clinical pregnancy/live birth rates (CPR/LBR).
• Multivariate regression models were used to adjust for confounding factors such as female and male age.

Main Results:

• ZyMōt processing resulted in lower sperm DNA fragmentation and higher motility compared to DGC.
• Significantly increased fertilization rates (81.0% vs. 78.7%) and blastocyst development rates (25.6% vs. 18.3%) were observed with ZyMōt.
• ZyMōt showed higher cumulative CPR and LBR in both oocyte donor and non-donor groups compared to DGC.

Conclusions:

• The ZyMōt device offers advantages over DGC, enhancing sperm quality and improving key ICSI cycle outcomes.
• ZyMōt leads to significantly increased blastocyst developmental potential and improved clinical pregnancy and live birth rates.
• Microfluidic sperm sorting with ZyMōt represents a promising advancement in assisted reproduction technology.