Infertility can be a difficult problem for couples looking to have a child, especially if the problem is due to sperm quality. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an available option, but in many cases it does not work. However, a new sperm selection device designed to replicate the natural sperm selection process in the female reproductive tract could help couples conceive.
Current Methods And Their Limitations
There are current methods of separating the strongest swimming sperm from the weakest. One of them is known as “swimming up.” It consists of placing a medium solution favorable to sperm on top of a semen sample in a test tube and waiting for approximately one hour. Only the healthiest sperm will swim up into that middle solution, where they can be collected.
Another method is density gradient centrifugation, which involves filling a test tube with liquids of different densities, with a semen sample on top. When the test tube is spun in a centrifuge, the healthiest sperm pass through the denser liquids toward the bottom of the tube, while the weaker sperm are trapped in the upper layers.
Unfortunately, according to scientists at the University of Technology Sydney, both methods can cause DNA fragmentation and cell death due to the introduction of reactive oxygen species.
The New Device
This is where the new polymer device comes in 3D printed disk shaped Designed to replicate the female reproductive tract. It incorporates an outdoor reservoir that is connected to a central collection well by intricate microfluidic channels. The idea is that when a semen sample is placed in the reservoir, only the strongest and most active sperm will make their way through the channels and into the collection pit, and based on the test results, this works as intended. .
The research team carried out extensive tests with the device in comparison to conventional IVF screening methods. The new method showed an 85% improvement in DNA integrity and an average 90% reduction in sperm cell death. Furthermore, sperm selected by the new method showed better recovery after freezing than traditional methods.
The study is described in a paper recently published in the journal Nature: Microsystems & Nanoengineering by scientists at the University of Technology Sydney.
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