A system and method for sorting sperm is provided. The system includes a housing and a microfluidic system supported by the housing. The system also includes an inlet providing access to the microfluidic system to deliver sperm to the microfluidic system and an outlet providing access to the microfluidic system to harvest sorted sperm from the microfluidic system. The microfluidic system provides a flow path for sperm from the inlet to the outlet and includes at least one channel extending from the inlet to the outlet to allow sperm delivered to the microfluidic system through the inlet to progress along the flow path toward the outlet. The microfluidic system also includes a filter including a first plurality of micropores arranged in the flow path between the inlet and the outlet to cause sperm traveling along the flow path to move against through the filter and gravity to reach the outlet.

Systems and methods are provided for evaluating the quality of a semen sample at a mobile device. An assembly includes an optical assembly with at least one lens and a housing configured to engage with the mobile device such that an axis of the optical assembly is substantially aligned with a camera of the mobile device. The optical assembly is contained within the housing. A microfluidic chip includes a reservoir to hold the semen sample. The microfluidic chip engages with the housing such that the reservoir is aligned with the axis of the optical assembly.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the handling of processed sperm including samples that are freshly collected, those transported as fresh samples, samples that are frozen and thawed, those sorted into one or more subpopulations, and those that are otherwise processed or handled that impose trauma on the cell. Trauma can reduce the motility, fertility, viability and overall integrity of the sperm and reduce the ability to fertilize, produce an embryo and a healthy offspring. The present invention relates to novel compounds that can be added to the sperm cell sample to reduce the traumatic effects of physical stress during mild as well as extensive sperm cell processing, methods of using the compounds in standard sperm processing procedures, the end products made from these methods including sperm and embryos, as well as methods of using those end products in assisted reproductive biology techniques in animals.

Embodiments disclose a device for testing biological specimen. The device includes a sample carrier and a detachable cover. The sample carrier includes a specimen holding area. The detachable cover is placed on top of the specimen holding area. The detachable cover includes a magnifying component configured to align with the specimen holding area. The focal length of the magnifying component is from 0.1 mm to 8.5 mm. The magnifying component has a linear magnification ratio of at least 1. Some embodiments further include a multi-camera configuration. These embodiments include a first camera module and a second camera module arranged to capture one or more images of the first holding area and the second holding area, respectively. The processor may perform different analytic processes on the captured images of different holding areas to determine an outcome with regard to the biological specimen.

The present invention relates to apparatuses for use in electrophoretic separation of macromolecules and/or cells.

The method provides a hyaluronic-acid binding based technique to separate functionally competent and mature sperm. The method for extracting viable sperms from a semen sample comprises incubating functionalized HA with functionalized paramagnetic beads to obtain a plurality of HA coated paramagnetic beads. The method further comprises incubating the plurality of HA coated paramagnetic beads with the semen sample to obtain a first population and a second population of sperm. The first population comprises sperm bound to the plurality of HA coated paramagnetic beads and the second population comprises sperms not bound to the plurality of HA coated paramagnetic beads. The method comprises magnetically separating the first population from the second population and separating sperms from the plurality of HA coated paramagnetic beads in the separated first population to obtain the viable sperms.

The invention concerns the domains of materials science and medicine and relates to a method such as can be applied to in vivo or in vitro fertilization, for instance. The problem addressed by the present invention is that of specifying a method with which the activity and controlled mobility of motile cells is improved and the absorption of materials alien to the cell is prevented as far as possible. The problem is solved by a method in which one or more motile cells are introduced into or attached to one or a plurality of magnetic particles, and subsequently the magnetic particles with the motile cells introduced into them or attached to them are moved in a directional manner by the application of an external magnetic field. The problem is further solved by the use of the method for the controlled movement of motile cells in liquid or gaseous media in the body of a mammal or human being.

Disclosed are sperm cells or embryos comprising a labeled oligonucleotide bound to a gender-specific repeat sequence. Methods for separating sperm cells or embryos containing a labeled oligonucleotide from sperm cells not containing the labeled oligonucleotide produce gender-enriched sperm cell fractions. The separated fractions are useful in producing offspring of a predetermined sex.

A system and method for sorting sperm is provided. The system includes a housing and a microfluidic system supported by the housing. The system also includes an inlet providing access to the microfluidic system to deliver sperm to the microfluidic system and an outlet providing access to the microfluidic system to harvest sorted sperm from the microfluidic system. The microfluidic system provides a flow path for sperm from the inlet to the outlet and includes at least one channel extending from the inlet to the outlet to allow sperm delivered to the microfluidic system through the inlet to progress along the flow path toward the outlet. The microfluidic system also includes a filter including a first plurality of micropores arranged in the flow path between the inlet and the outlet to cause sperm traveling along the flow path to move against through the filter and gravity to reach the outlet.

This disclosure relates to methods for sorting sperm cells in a microfluidic chip. In particular, various steps are incorporated to align and orienting sperm in flow channels, as well as, to determining sperm orientation and measure relative DNA content for analysis and/or sorting.