{"title":"Microfluidics as an emerging paradigm for assisted reproductive technology: A sperm separation perspective","authors":"Mohammadjavad Bouloorchi Tabalvandani, Zahra Saeidpour, Zahra Habibi, Saeed Javadizadeh, Seyed Ahmadreza Firoozabadi, Majid Badieirostami","doi":"10.1007/s10544-024-00705-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Millions of people are subject to infertility worldwide and one in every six people, regardless of gender, experiences infertility at some period in their life, according to the World Health Organization. Assisted reproductive technologies are defined as a set of procedures that can address the infertility issue among couples, culminating in the alleviation of the condition. However, the costly conventional procedures of assisted reproduction and the inherent vagaries of the processes involved represent a setback for its successful implementation. Microfluidics, an emerging tool for processing low-volume samples, have recently started to play a role in infertility diagnosis and treatment. Given its host of benefits, including manipulating cells at the microscale, repeatability, automation, and superior biocompatibility, microfluidics have been adopted for various procedures in assisted reproduction, ranging from sperm sorting and analysis to more advanced processes such as IVF-on-a-chip. In this review, we try to adopt a more holistic approach and cover different uses of microfluidics for a variety of applications, specifically aimed at sperm separation and analysis. We present various sperm separation microfluidic techniques, categorized as natural and non-natural methods. A few of the recent developments in on-chip fertilization are also discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":490,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical Microdevices","volume":"26 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Biomedical Microdevices","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10544-024-00705-2","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, BIOMEDICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Millions of people are subject to infertility worldwide and one in every six people, regardless of gender, experiences infertility at some period in their life, according to the World Health Organization. Assisted reproductive technologies are defined as a set of procedures that can address the infertility issue among couples, culminating in the alleviation of the condition. However, the costly conventional procedures of assisted reproduction and the inherent vagaries of the processes involved represent a setback for its successful implementation. Microfluidics, an emerging tool for processing low-volume samples, have recently started to play a role in infertility diagnosis and treatment. Given its host of benefits, including manipulating cells at the microscale, repeatability, automation, and superior biocompatibility, microfluidics have been adopted for various procedures in assisted reproduction, ranging from sperm sorting and analysis to more advanced processes such as IVF-on-a-chip. In this review, we try to adopt a more holistic approach and cover different uses of microfluidics for a variety of applications, specifically aimed at sperm separation and analysis. We present various sperm separation microfluidic techniques, categorized as natural and non-natural methods. A few of the recent developments in on-chip fertilization are also discussed.
期刊介绍:
Biomedical Microdevices: BioMEMS and Biomedical Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary periodical devoted to all aspects of research in the medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (BioMEMS) and nanotechnology for medicine and biology.
General subjects of interest include the design, characterization, testing, modeling and clinical validation of microfabricated systems, and their integration on-chip and in larger functional units. The specific interests of the Journal include systems for neural stimulation and recording, bioseparation technologies such as nanofilters and electrophoretic equipment, miniaturized analytic and DNA identification systems, biosensors, and micro/nanotechnologies for cell and tissue research, tissue engineering, cell transplantation, and the controlled release of drugs and biological molecules.
Contributions reporting on fundamental and applied investigations of the material science, biochemistry, and physics of biomedical microdevices and nanotechnology are encouraged. A non-exhaustive list of fields of interest includes: nanoparticle synthesis, characterization, and validation of therapeutic or imaging efficacy in animal models; biocompatibility; biochemical modification of microfabricated devices, with reference to non-specific protein adsorption, and the active immobilization and patterning of proteins on micro/nanofabricated surfaces; the dynamics of fluids in micro-and-nano-fabricated channels; the electromechanical and structural response of micro/nanofabricated systems; the interactions of microdevices with cells and tissues, including biocompatibility and biodegradation studies; variations in the characteristics of the systems as a function of the micro/nanofabrication parameters.