[Object] To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program which are suitable for assessing a fertile ovum with high precision.

[Solving Means] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a storage unit, an image acquisition unit, and an assessment unit. The storage unit pre-stores a plurality of first images, the plurality of first images being obtained by rotating and imaging a comparative cell. The image acquisition unit acquires a plurality of second images, the plurality of second images being obtained by rotating and imaging a cell that is an object to be assessed. The assessment unit assesses the cell that is the object to be assessed on the basis of a result of comparison of the first image with the second image.

Described herein are devices, systems, and methods to aid in the manipulation of cells. The devices, methods, and systems disclosed herein can be applied towards, for example, automation of the in vitro fertilization process.

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.

The present invention provides a microfluidic device with a confined geometry for isolating a slither-capable subpopulation of sperm which is of higher quality than the raw sperm population. The proposed device isolates slither-capable sperm based on their ability to enter and traverse a confined region where 3D locomotion is restricted. The DNA integrity of the selected sperm was higher than that of the corresponding raw samples by 55% and 122% for donors and patients, respectively. In side-by-side testing this method outperforms current clinical selection methods, density gradient centrifugation and swim-up, as well as sperm selected via general motility. Slithering represents a viable selection mechanism, readily applicable to clinical workflows with the potential to improve outcomes for couples and offspring.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cell culture vessel having a plurality of microwells, which allows to identify the position of a microwell by observing it under a microscope without moving a viewing position, which has identifiers to be easily disposed to the microwells. The present invention is directed to a cell culture vessel comprising a bottom and a sidewall, in which the bottom has a cell containing section in which a plurality of microwells for containing cells are disposed, identifiers are disposed in the vicinities of the plurality of microwells so as to make pairs in individual microwells, and the relative position of each of the identifiers to a partner microwell varies in every pair.

A disposable polymer container for manipulation of small specimens adapted to optimize heat transfer between an external heating element and specimens herein contained. In particular, this invention relates to the field of containers for Assisted Reproductive Technology hereunder In-vitro fertilization (IVF).

The invention provides methods for analyzing a patient's potential for achieving ongoing pregnancy with respect to a specific fertility treatment. These methods involve conducting one or more tests on the patient to determine a body mass index (BMI) of the patient and obtaining one or more clinical characteristics from the patient. In one aspect, at least one of the clinical characteristics is age, clinical diagnosis, weight, basal antral follicle count, or current medications. The methods further involve comparing the obtained clinical characteristics to a reference set of data obtained from a female reference population for which results of fertility treatments are known, at least some of the reference population having used ovulation induction agents. Based on the results of the comparing step, the patient is then informed of her potential for achieving ongoing pregnancy with respect to the specific fertility treatment.

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.

An embryo culture device that accommodates a plurality of trays that each accommodate a treatment egg having been subjected to insemination treatment, and keeps the plurality of trays in a culture environment includes: a culture unit that keeps the plurality of trays in the culture environment; and a plurality of imaging units that are each provided in association with each one of the trays held in the culture unit, and continuously or intermittently image locations of the trays. An image captured by each of the imaging units is stored in a storage unit per tray. The image stored per recess part is corrected, and the corrected image is displayed on a display unit.

Treatment eggs accommodated in recess parts are kept in a culture environment, and imaging units prepared at fixed positions with respect to recess parts continuously or intermittently capture images including the treatment eggs accommodated in these recess parts. Determination of growth of the treatment eggs is made for egg images including the imaged treatment eggs using a learned model generated in advance by supervised machine learning, and the egg images are stored in a storage unit. The egg images satisfying a condition set in advance are read from the storage unit according to a result of the determination, and displayed on a display unit.