Science

Simple 3D-printed sperm-sorting device could help couples conceive

The device is designed to replicate the natural sperm selection process which takes place in the female reproductive tract
WarkianiLab @ UTS
The device is designed to replicate the natural sperm selection process which takes place in the female reproductive tract
WarkianiLab @ UTS

If a couple is having difficulty conceiving a child due to low-quality sperm, in-vitro fertilization is always an option … although it frequently isn't successful. A simple new device could help, by selecting only the best sperm to do the job.

First of all, there are already methods of separating the strongest-swimming sperm from the duds.

In one technique known as swim-up, a sperm-hospitable medium is placed atop a semen sample in a test tube, then left for about an hour. Only the healthiest sperm will swim up into that medium, where they can be collected.

In another technique called density gradient centrifugation, a test tube is filled with liquids of differing densities, with a semen sample at the top. When that test tube is spun in a centrifuge, the healthiest sperm will make their way through the denser liquids to the bottom of the tube, while the weaker sperm will be trapped in the upper layers.

Unfortunately, according to scientists from Australia's University of Technology Sydney, both methods can cause DNA fragmentation and cell death due to the introduction of reactive oxygen species. That's where the new 3D-printed disc-shaped polymer device comes in.

Designed to replicate the female reproductive tract, it incorporates a reservoir along the outside which 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 well – and it reportedly works as intended.

"We conducted extensive testing against conventional IVF [in-vitro fertilization] selection methods, with the new method showing an 85% improvement in DNA integrity and an average 90% reduction in sperm cell death," said the lead scientist, Prof. Majid Warkiani. "The sperm selected by our method also demonstrated better recovery after freezing than traditional methods."

The research is described in a paper that was recently published in the journal Nature: Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

Source: University of Technology Sydney

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3 comments
Wombat56
I'm surprised that "reactive oxygen species" is an insurmountable problem in the density gradient centrifugation method. You'd think they could just add some sort of anti-oxidant to the culture medium to neutralize them.
Karmudjun
Nice article Ben. This appears to be a breakthrough, but it leaves it in the hands of in vitro fertilization practices. In reading this I was thinking the research had goal of providing low income or insurance poor populations with a fertility process they could explore. I somewhat does, you would still need a syringe (or turkey baster if movies are your source of medical information) to place your sample close to the uterine Os. The appropriate tools including a speculum and lights would likely not improve any home technique....
VicCherikoff
With the planet over-populated, this sort of research is highly inappropriate.