Isolation of motile spermatozoa from semen samples using microfluidics

Abstract

A microfluidic device was designed with two parallel laminar flow channels where non-motile spermatozoa and debris would flow along their initial streamlines and exit one outlet, whereas motile spermatozoa had an opportunity to swim into a parallel stream and exit a separate outlet. Motile sperm samples were prepared with density gradient separation ( n = 5). Sperm motility was assessed the following day after exposing aliquots to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) used to construct the device. There was no difference in sperm motility when compared with unexposed aliquots ( P > 0.05). Unprocessed semen samples ( n = 10) were placed in wider channels and sperm motility and strict morphology were assessed from sorted outlets. Sperm motility increased from 44 ± 4.5% to 98 ± 0.4% ( P < 0.05) and morphology increased from 10 ± 1.05% to 22 ± 3.3% ( P < 0.05) following processing. Finally, density gradient prepared samples ( n = 6) containing 5 × 10 6 motile spermatozoa/ml and 50 × 10 6 round immature germ cells/ml were sorted and assessed in a similar fashion. The ratio of motile spermatozoa to round immature germ cells in the wide inlet (1:10) was significantly improved in the thin outlet (33:1) ( P < 0.05). This microfluidic device provides a novel method for isolating motile, morphologically normal spermatozoa from semen samples without centrifugation. This technology may prove useful in isolating motile spermatozoa from oligozoospermic samples, even with high amounts of non-motile gamete and/or non-gamete cell contamination. A movie sequence showing streaming and sorting of spermatozoa may be purchased for viewing on the internet at www.rbmonline.com/Article/847 (free to web subscribers).