Microfluidics: The future of sperm selection in assisted reproduction.

Background: Obtaining functional sperm cells is the first step to treat infertility. With the ever-increasing trend in male infertility, clinicians require access to effective solutions that are able to single out the most viable spermatozoa, which would max out the chance for a successful pregnancy. The new generation techniques for sperm selection involve microfluidics, which offers laminar flow and low Reynolds number within the platforms can provide unprecedented opportunities for sperm selection.

Development of a novel cervix-inspired tortuous microfluidic system for efficient, high-quality sperm selection.

Microfluidic systems have been extensively studied in recent years as potential alternatives for problematic conventional methods of sperm selection. However, despite the widespread use of simple straight channels in these systems, the impact of channel geometry on selected sperm quality has not been thoroughly investigated. To explore this further, we designed and fabricated serpentine microchannels with different radii of curvature, inspired by the tortuous structure of the cervix.