Rheotaxis-based sperm separation using a biomimicry microfluidic device.

ABSTRACT: Sperm selection is crucial to assisted reproduction, influencing the success rate of the treatment cycle and offspring health. However, in the current clinical sperm selection practices, bypassing almost all the natural selection barriers is a major concern. Here, we present a biomimicry microfluidic method, inspired by the anatomy of the female reproductive tract, that separates motile sperm based on their rheotaxis behavior to swim against the flow into low shear rate regions. The device includes micropocket geometries that recall the oval-shaped microstructures of the female fallopian tube to create shear protected zones for sperm separation. Clinical tests with human samples indicate that the device is capable of isolating viable and highly motile sperm based on their rheotaxis respons

SUBMITTER: Sarbandi IR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8443654 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature