News | Chip Selects Motile Sperm and May Reduce IVF Failure Rates
During natural conception, only a few hundred of about 100 million sperm ultimately reach the fallopian tube for fertilization. In assisted reproduction, selecting healthy sperm that swim well, straight, and quickly is critical to success.
Researchers at the Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science developed a new microfluidic chip based on sperm rheotaxis. It selects high-quality sperm in a single step within one hour and costs less than $5 to manufacture. Compared with current centrifugation methods, it is faster, more precise, and gentler, and could greatly reduce clinical costs for intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Can Sperm Swim Against the Current? The Chip Replicates a Physiological Mechanism
Study leader Dr. Waseem Asghar, associate professor of electrical engineering at Florida Atlantic University, explains that the technology was inspired by **rheotaxis, a natural sperm behavior in which the most motile sperm instinctively swim against the flow of cervical mucus in the female reproductive tract** to reach the egg. This is a natural selection mechanism.
The team built a chip with four cylindrical chambers and multiple microchannels. After semen is introduced through the sample inlet, healthy sperm swim against the current toward a collection chamber, while dead or abnormal sperm are directed to a waste chamber. The design substantially reduces contamination, DNA fragmentation, and oxidative damage during selection.
“Our chip has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and can be used with almost no training,” says Asghar. “The entire process takes only about one hour, much faster than current centrifugation methods that take 2 hours or longer.”
Results: Nearly 100% Sperm Motility and Significantly Less DNA Fragmentation
The study, published in The Analyst by the Royal Society of Chemistry, found that sperm selected with the chip had:
Nearly 100% motility;
A higher proportion of normal morphology;
Substantially less DNA fragmentation, significantly improving fertilization rates;
Sufficient cell numbers for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
The shear stress within the chip also replicates physiological flow conditions, gently separating sperm without damaging structural integrity.
Dr. Stella Batalama, dean of the Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science, said, “This research addresses the damage conventional centrifugation can cause to sperm and provides a low-cost, efficient selection platform for future assisted reproduction.”
Addressing Infertility Worldwide While Reducing Patient Costs
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 15% of U.S. couples have difficulty conceiving, affecting approximately 48.5 million couples worldwide. The average total cost of assisted reproductive treatment is about $40,000 to $60,000, and patients pay as much as 85% out of pocket.
Asghar said, “The microfluidic chip we designed can greatly improve the success of reproductive technologies while helping patients reduce high treatment costs.”
The chip is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, and suitable for many laboratories and clinics, giving it substantial commercial and clinical potential.
News | Chip Selects Motile Sperm and May Reduce IVF Failure Rates
News | Chip Selects Motile Sperm and May Reduce IVF Failure Rates
During natural conception, only a few hundred of about 100 million sperm ultimately reach the fallopian tube for fertilization. In assisted reproduction, selecting healthy sperm that swim well, straight, and quickly is critical to success.
Researchers at the Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science developed a new microfluidic chip based on sperm rheotaxis. It selects high-quality sperm in a single step within one hour and costs less than $5 to manufacture. Compared with current centrifugation methods, it is faster, more precise, and gentler, and could greatly reduce clinical costs for intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Can Sperm Swim Against the Current? The Chip Replicates a Physiological Mechanism
Study leader Dr. Waseem Asghar, associate professor of electrical engineering at Florida Atlantic University, explains that the technology was inspired by **rheotaxis, a natural sperm behavior in which the most motile sperm instinctively swim against the flow of cervical mucus in the female reproductive tract** to reach the egg. This is a natural selection mechanism.
The team built a chip with four cylindrical chambers and multiple microchannels. After semen is introduced through the sample inlet, healthy sperm swim against the current toward a collection chamber, while dead or abnormal sperm are directed to a waste chamber. The design substantially reduces contamination, DNA fragmentation, and oxidative damage during selection.
“Our chip has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and can be used with almost no training,” says Asghar. “The entire process takes only about one hour, much faster than current centrifugation methods that take 2 hours or longer.”
Results: Nearly 100% Sperm Motility and Significantly Less DNA Fragmentation
The study, published in The Analyst by the Royal Society of Chemistry, found that sperm selected with the chip had:
Nearly 100% motility;
A higher proportion of normal morphology;
Substantially less DNA fragmentation, significantly improving fertilization rates;
Sufficient cell numbers for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
The shear stress within the chip also replicates physiological flow conditions, gently separating sperm without damaging structural integrity.
Dr. Stella Batalama, dean of the Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science, said, “This research addresses the damage conventional centrifugation can cause to sperm and provides a low-cost, efficient selection platform for future assisted reproduction.”
Addressing Infertility Worldwide While Reducing Patient Costs
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 15% of U.S. couples have difficulty conceiving, affecting approximately 48.5 million couples worldwide. The average total cost of assisted reproductive treatment is about $40,000 to $60,000, and patients pay as much as 85% out of pocket.
Asghar said, “The microfluidic chip we designed can greatly improve the success of reproductive technologies while helping patients reduce high treatment costs.”
The chip is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, and suitable for many laboratories and clinics, giving it substantial commercial and clinical potential.
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