Issue 22, 2024

Acoustic enrichment of sperm for in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has emerged as a crucial method in modern medicine for tackling infertility. However, the success of fertilization depends on the quality and quantity of sperm, often necessitating invasive surgical intervention, which presents challenges for non-invasive in vitro fertilization. Acoustic microfluidics technology has found widespread application across various biological contexts. In this paper, we propose to introduce a novel approach using asymmetric acoustic streaming generated by a single interdigital transducer (IDT) to enhance sperm concentration and improve fertilization in vitro, particularly in cases of moderate oligozoospermia. The concentration of particles increased approximately 6-fold in the central region after acoustic enrichment. Moreover, sperm motility was significantly improved without additional DNA fragmentation, and all the oocytes remained viable after 5 min of acoustic enrichment. Notably, acoustic enrichment accelerated fertilization and embryo development, leading to a higher fertilization rate and faster cleavage speed. Specifically, within 36 hours, the multiple-cell embryo ratio was significantly increased compared to the control group. This finding further validates the feasibility and non-invasiveness of acoustic enrichment for sperm fertilization in vitro. This work provides a promising tool for in vitro fertilization, holding significant implications for assisted reproduction.

Graphical abstract: Acoustic enrichment of sperm for in vitro fertilization

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jul 2024
Accepted
10 Oct 2024
First published
11 Oct 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Lab Chip, 2024,24, 5113-5123

Acoustic enrichment of sperm for in vitro fertilization

C. Zhang, N. Rong, Z. Lin, P. Li, J. Shi, W. Zhou, L. Niu, F. Li, R. Tang, L. Li and L. Meng, Lab Chip, 2024, 24, 5113 DOI: 10.1039/D4LC00604F

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