Applications of a microfabricated device for evaluating sperm function

Abstract

Mesoscale structures (microns dimensions, nL-pL volumes) have been designed and fabricated in silicon for use in various analytical tasks. We studied sperm motility and performed sperm selection in channels (80 microns wide x 20 microns deep), branching structures (40 microns wide x 20 microns deep, eight bifurcations), and channels containing barriers (7 microns feature size). Sperm-cervical mucus and sperm-hyaluronic acid interactions were assessed by using appropriate microchannel-chamber structures filled with either cervical mucus or hyaluronic acid. Simultaneous assessment of the potency of different spermicides (e.g., nonoxynol-9, C13G) and spermicide concentrations was achieved with structures comprising chambers containing spermicide connected via channels to a central chamber into which semen was introduced. Semen was also tested for the presence of sperm-specific antibodies by using microchannels filled with human anti-IgG antibody-coated microbeads.

Sperm motilite bozukluklarına güncel yaklaşım

“…Ancak ilk defa Kricka ve ark., mikrofluidik bir sistemle motil spermlerin bir semen örneğinden ayrıştırılabileceğini göstermişlerdir. [40] Mikroçip Parmegiani ve ark., yaptıkları bir çalışmada sperm slow yöntemiyle klasik ICSI yöntemini karşılatırmışlardır. [44] Bu çalışmada embriyo gelişiminin ve kalitesinin sperm slow ile daha başarılı olduğunu belirtilmiştir.…”

Microfluidics-based devices: New tools for studying cancer and cancer stem cell migration

“…4͒ and leukocyte trafficking. 41 In this device, two concentrations of biomol- ecules separately flow into a network of microchannels, where spring-shaped mixers are patterned to convectively mix adjacent streamlines and form a stair-shaped chemical gradient. This chemical gradient in the laminar flow is then run through a cell chamber where diffusion will smoothen the gradient profile.…”

Microfluidics for Gametes, Embryos, and Embryonic Stem Cells

“…Development of a microfluidic device for sperm analysis was first developed by Kricka and colleagues in 1993 using fabricated silicon and glass microfluidic devices. 36 Sperm motility was assessed along the length of a network of branching microchannels (80 mm wide  20 mm deep), and the authors demonstrated that the amount of time it took for sperm to transverse the microchannel correlated with forward progression scores. 37 This method of sperm isolation provides a good measure of motility and forward progression but provides little information on sperm concentration, percentage of sperm motility, or facilitation of sperm isolation from seminal plasma needed in sperm processing for insemination.…”