Optimum Measurement Time for Human Sperm Velocity Determination

Abstract

The optimal time-duration required by spermatozoa to travel distances from which their average velocity can be accurately determined was investigated. For this purpose, 180 motile spermatozoa, from 12 seminal specimens, were photographed while being illuminated by six light pulses, given at 1-sec intervals. From these photographs, distances traveled by each spermatozoon were measured over identical time periods. Most individual spermatozoa showed slight deviation of their velocity when measured sequentially for 5 sec. Nevertheless, when mean sperm velocity of grouped spermatozoa were determined from 1- or 5-sec measurement time, the results were almost identical. This was attributed to a pure statistical law, that is, the mean deviation decreases as the number of spermatozoa in the sample increases. It was concluded that the sperm velocity of a certain specimen can be determined properly using a 1-sec measurement time. An extended period of time does not seem to contribute to the accuracy of sperm velocity determination.

A critical review of the physiological importance and analysis of sperm movement in mammals

“…However, rather than a continuous image, a light flash is used, giving six images of the field/s. Images of motile spermatozoa appear as 'six-ringed chains' the length and shape of which describe the distance travelled by each spermatozoon in 1 s, while immotile spermatozoa are overexposed (Makler, 1978;Makler and Blumenfeld, 1980). Analysis of these photomicrographs could be made using manual or semi-automated methods (Makler et al, , 1984, giving sperm concentration, the proportion of motile spermatozoa, individual and average sperm speed (straight-line velocity, see below), and the frequency distribution of sperm speed (Makler, 1978;Kamidono et al, 1983).…”

Mitochondrial haplotype does not influence sperm motility in a UK population of men

“…The terms in the MAM were: (i) dilution factor; (ii) sperm concentration; (iii) semen volume and (iv) sperm morphology according to the WHO (1999) criteria. For PC1 sperm motility analyses, linear models were weighted by the number of sperm in the analysis ['neat' mean n ¼ 528 + 456 (1 SD), 'PBS-diluted' mean n ¼ 174 + 228 (1 SD)] cells, since accuracy of motility estimates increases with increasing sperm numbers (Makler and Blumenfeld, 1980). In analyses with WHO (A + B) motility grades as the dependent variable, weights were not applied because the same number of cells (n ¼ 200) were routinely analysed.…”