Analysis of Sperm Concentration, Motility, and Kinetics in A Microfluidic Chip
Date Issued
2010
Date
2010
Author(s)
Chen, Yu-An
Abstract
A home-use device that allows rapid and quantitative sperm quality analysis is desirable but not yet fully realized. To aid this effort, this thesis presents a microfluidic device capable of quantifying sperm quality in terms of two critical fertility-related parameters — motile sperm concentration and motility. The microdevice produces flow field and sperms that overcame the flow within a specified time are propelled along in a separate channel and counted via resistive pulse technique. Results are compared to two control methods clinically utilized for sperm quality exam – hemocytometer and the sperm quality analyzer – and the numbers of pulses generated by passage of sperms in the device suggests strong correlation with two controls: pulse number of 0 to 335 corresponds to progressively motile sperm concentrations from 0 to 19×106/ml (hemocytometer) and Sperm Motility Index from 0 to 204 (sperm quality analyzer). The microdevice should be applicable to facilitate self assessment of sperm quality at home.
Furthermore, features of sperm motion such as beat frequency and swimming velocity are characterized via resistive pulse technique in a microfluidic chip. The effect of shape and orientation of aspheric particles on resistance of aperture was utilized to measure of motion of human spermatozoa. By measuring the voltage drop across an aperture when a sperm passes, the height of induced pulse can be directly related to the sperm volume, the duration inversely proportional to swim velocity, and the undulation of voltage on top of pulse correlates with sperms’ beat frequency. In comparison with control method of sperm motion quantified under a microscope, experimental results confirm that sperm characteristics can be accurately measured through resistive pulse technique. Different from image based approach, the proposed method provides another tool for quantifying these sperm characteristics based on electrical detection.
Subjects
Microfluidics
sperm
Coulter principle
Type
thesis
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