A flat capillary tube system for assessment of sperm movement in cervical mucus

A new flat capillary tube system has been developed for studies of sperm movement in cervical mucus. The system is easy to use, employs readily obtainable components, and is amenable to small sample sizes characteristic of human cervical mucus. The system possesses good optical resolution and is suitable for visual assessment of sperm migration as well as more detailed studies of the movement characteristics of individual spermatozoa. The system subjects the mucus to a well-defined and controllable rate of shear deformation. Preliminary experiments have suggested that the swimmming speed of human sperm does not differ in flat capillary tubes of 200-micrometer and 400-micrometer depth.