Research Terms
Infertility is fast becoming a major medical market with more than $4 billion in services provided by the end of 2018. This extensive growth is driven by two factors: the increase in childbearing age for women and a growing number of single women choosing to have a child via sperm donation. Additionally, approximately 50% of all infertility issues come from the male, which requires both isolation and further analysis of the sperm to determine best course of action. Thus, a byproduct of infertility is the increase of in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF utilizes eggs that are surgically removed and mixed with sperm. Then viable, dividing embryos (ones that have been successfully fertilized) can be implanted into the mother. More than half of the money spent on fertility services in 2014 was for IVF, which by definition requires sperm to be sorted for viability. Current technologies used to separate and purify sperm utilize ultracentrifugation and/or hyaluronan binding. These methods can damage sperm, causing the release of inflammatory signals and DNA damage.
The 3D-printed fluidics chip developed by researchers at FAU provides a method to sort sperm that more closely mimics the process of fertilization in vivo. This novel method allows for gentle separation of the most active, viable sperm, which increases the likelihood of successful fertilization. Following sperm collection or thaw, sperm are introduced at one end of the chip. Fluid then flows into the chip away from the collection point for the sperm. This causes the sperm to swim away from the starting point towards the collection point. The sperm that make it to the collection point are then collected and can be used in an assisted reproductive technology procedure. This method is thought to select the fittest sperm, which are defined as those that have the most forward motion away from the starting point, against the flow, to the collection point. Thus, this process more closely mimics the natural process of sperm journeying from the uterus to the egg within the oviduct.
FAU is seeking partners to advance this technology into the marketplace through licensing or development partnerships.
Quantitative analysis of sperm rheotaxis using a microfluidic device
Point-of-care tests often rely on smartphone image methods for colorimetric analysis, however, the results of these methods are frequently difficult to reproduce or standardize. Unfortunately, the problem is aggravated by unpredictable image capture conditions, which pose a significant challenge when low limits of detection are needed. Application-specific smartphone attachments are utilized to standardize imaging conditions. However, there has recently been an interest in equipment-free point-of-care colorimetric analysis. Although improved output metrics and pre-processing methods have been developed, equipment-free imaging still has a high limit of detection and is, therefore, inappropriate for these quantitative tasks.
Researchers at FAU have developed a proprietary technology for video processing on smartphones. This novel technology includes a video processing method that synthesizes several images into a single output metric. Several image features are utilized to determine clarity and detail of the selected images. The resulting output values have a stronger correlation with laboratory methods and a lower standard error. Additionally, this technology only requires 20 seconds of video and can easily be integrated with related processing methods. This technology uses the saturation parameter of hue-saturation value colorpace to enable point-of-care diagnosis in the field. Through the analysis of over 10,000 images, the saturation method consistently outperforms current approaches under a wide range of operating field conditions. Performance improvement may be proven analytically via the mathematic relationship between the saturation method and existing techniques. Additionally, this technology does not require any light box or external equipment before imaging.
FAU is seeking partners to advance this technology into the marketplace through licensing or development partnerships.
Point-of-care colorimetric analysis through smartphone video
Infertility challenges are exacerbated by limitations in current sperm selection techniques, which struggle to isolate high-quality sperm, especially from abnormal samples.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have developed a microfluidic device that innovatively addresses this problem by mimicking the natural selection process of the female reproductive tract. This device uniquely separates highly motile and functional sperm, enhancing the quality of sperm for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Tested with both fresh and cryopreserved samples, it has shown promising results in isolating sperm with normal morphology and low DNA fragmentation, positioning it as a superior alternative to current methods.
FAU seeks to advance this innovation into the marketplace through licensing or development partnerships.
