The present invention provides a medical device and a method for the selective separation of a biological sample of a mammal into a first portion and a second portion. It comprises a first layer comprising a first reservoir for receiving the biological sample and for retaining the first portion of the sample, and a second layer comprising a second reservoir for receiving the second portion of the sample. Between the first layer and the second layer a third layer is provided, wherein the third layer comprises a plurality of channels configured to provide a fluid communication between the first reservoir and the second reservoir. Furthermore, between the first layer and the second layer a fourth layer adjacent to the third layer is provided, wherein the fourth layer comprises and/or is configured as a separation layer. At least the third and fourth layer are configured to selectively separate the biological sample between the first reservoir and the second reservoir into the first portion and the second portion of the sample. According to the invention, the layers are to be understood to be stackable in a substantially vertical plane, forming a three-dimensional layered structure.

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.

Stabilized amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) for treatment of several neurological, muscular and infertility diseases and conditions is provided. In particular, the stabilized ACC may be used in the treatment of axonal defects and muscular dystrophy. In addition, provided are improved methods used in assistant reproductive technology. Examples of such methods are in vitro fertilization and improvement of sperm quality. The improved IVF method, for example, comprises addition of the stabilized ACC to the cell culture medium in which the stages of fertilization and embryo development occurs.

A microfluidic system configured to focus particles suspended in a fluid. One general aspect includes a microfluidic system comprising one or more substrates and a focusing channel formed in the one or more substrates and spanning a length from an inlet to an outlet for receiving a flow of particles suspended in fluid, wherein the particles have a diameter (a) and the focusing channel has a hydraulic diameter (dh).

A multi-channel system for classifying particles in a mixture of particles according to one or more characteristics including a common source of electromagnetic radiation for producing a beam of electromagnetic radiation and a beam splitter for producing multiple beams of electromagnetic radiation for directing multiple beams of electromagnetic radiation to each interrogation location associated with each flow channel of the multi-channel system.

A broad object of a the instant invention can be to provide a method for separating X and Y sperm cells within a sample sperm cell population, the method including (i) differentiating between and (ii) separating sperm cells that have undergone a cellular process and sperm cells that have not undergone the cellular process, whereby a majority of the sperm cells that have undergone the cellular process can comprise one of X or Y sperm cells, and a majority of the sperm cells that have not undergone the cellular process can comprise the other of X or Y sperm cells. As to particular embodiments, the cellular process can be a maturational step. As to particular embodiments, the maturational step can be capacitation. As to particular embodiments, the maturational step can be the acrosome reaction. As to particular embodiments, non-viable and viable sperm cells can also be (i) differentiated between and (ii) separated.

A microfluidic chip is provided for self-sorting highly motile, morphologically normal sperm cell with high DNA integrity from a fresh semen sample. The sperm self-sorting microfluidic chip has one or more inlet chambers, and sperm collection outlet chamber(s), and the middle of the channel features various micro-fabricated structures in different geometrical shapes and orientations, with varying periodicities and patterns, such as an array of micro-fabricated pillars that facilitate the transport of the active and healthy sperm into the outlet chamber.

A purified antibody, or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, is provided that binds selectively to a protein specific to an X-chromosome of a mammalian sperm cell. The sperm cell protein includes an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 4 and 9-16. The antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof may be derived by immunization of a host by an antigenic peptide composition including one or more natural or synthetic antigenic peptide sequences set forth as SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, and SEQ ID NOs: 4 and 9-16. The antibody finds utility in identifying an X-chromosome bearing sperm cell population, and in methods for skewing a sex ratio in mammals. Embodiments of the subject antibodies referred to herein as anti-GX1-E protein antibody and anti-GX1-M protein antibody have the ATCC Patent Deposit Designations PTA-125897 and PTA-125898, having been deposited on Apr. 2, 2019.

The present invention relates to a biosensor and applications thereof for the quantification of sperm function. Methods and tools for diagnosis of male infertility are also disclosed herein.

A device for selecting sperm includes a stack of a plurality of layers of a material. The stack has an inlet end and an outlet end. Each layer of the material includes a plurality of sperm selection microchannels. Each sperm selection microchannel has a respective microchannel inlet at the inlet end of the stack and extends to a respective microchannel outlet at the outlet end of the stack.