Rheotaxis is a fundamental mechanism of sperm cells that guides them in navigating towards the oocyte. The present study investigates the phenomenon of sperm rheotaxis in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid media, which for the first time explores a viscosity range equivalent to that of the oviductal fluid of the female reproductive tract in rectilinear microfluidic channels. Three parameters, the progressive velocity while performing rheotaxis, the radius of rotation during rheotaxis, and the percentage of rheotactic sperm cells in the bulk and near-wall regions of the microfluidic channel were measured.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhite blood cells (WBCs) are robust defenders during antigenic challenges and prime immune cell functioning indicators. High-purity WBC separation is vital for various clinical assays and disease diagnosis. Red blood cells (RBCs) are a major hindrance in WBC separation, constituting 1000 times the WBC population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Microfluidic methods act as an effective motile sperm separation technique used in infertility treatments. This work presents a standalone microfluidic device to separate motile sperm cells from non-motile sperm cells and debris. The separation mechanism is based on the centrifugal force acting on sperms and the ability of progressive motile sperms to swim upstream.
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