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 invention relates to an apparatus (200) for incubation of a viable biological material (2); said apparatus comprises: a housing (4) having an extension in a longitudinal direction X, in a transversal direction Y, and in a direction Z perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transversal direction; said housing comprising: two or more culture dish compartments (6), each being adapted to accommodate, one or more culture dishes (8) comprising a biological material (2); wherein said apparatus comprises an image capturing device (10); wherein said apparatus comprises a control unit (12) for controlling the operation thereof; wherein at least part of said image capturing device is being configured to be movable in relation to the two or more culture dish compartments (6), thereby allowing capture of images of one or more of said biological materials (2) accommodated in said one or more culture dishes (8); and wherein said apparatus comprises a FLIM unit (11) (fluorescent lifetime imaging microscope); wherein at least part of said FLIM unit (11) is being configured to be movable in relation to the two or more culture dish compartments (6), thereby allowing capture of FLIM spectra of one or more of said biological materials (2) accommodated in said one or more culture dishes (8).

Provided are a culture vessel with which an embryonic body can be formed efficiently from human embryonic stem cells, and a method for culturing human embryonic stem cells using the vessel. There is provided a vessel for culturing human embryonic stem cells, the culture vessel having two or more wells (1), wherein each of the wells (1) has a tubular body (2) and a funnel-shaped bottom (3) provided at one end of the body (2), the bottom (3) being a concave curved surface at the center (4) of the bottom (3) and the bottom (3) having an opening angle () in range of 60 to 100. There is provided a method for culturing human embryonic stem cells by using said vessel for culturing human embryonic stem cells.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for passive collection of sperm having improved motility from a semen sample. The semen sample is contacted with on side of a porous barrier and a nutrient-containing media is contacted with the other side of the porous barrier. More robust sperm migrate from the semen sample through the porous barrier and are collected in a nutrient-containing media.

Disclosed herein include methods, compositions, culture media, and devices for in vitro culture of synthetic embryos from mammalian pluripotent stem cells. The in vitro embryo model is generated with embryonic and extraembryonic lineages derived from embryonic stem cells through transcription-factor-mediated reprogramming and can undergo advanced development to late headfold stages.

This invention relates to microfluidic chips for and their applications in acquiring sperms with high velocity and/or motility. The microfluidic chip comprises an inlet region, a first flow channel, a divergent channel, an optional block structure with rounded corners and one or more outlet region(s). The invention mimics sperm activation process in body and designs a microfluidic chip mimicking the activation process so that higher amount of populations and/or subpopulations of sperms with high motility can be acquired.

A mirror image microscopic imaging device, and a microneedle attitude calibration system and method. The mirror image microscopic imaging device comprises: a motion actuator (193) fixedly mounted on a microscope stage; a mirror image forming device support (192) of which one end is connected to the motion actuator; and a mirror image forming device (191) having a flat mirror that has a 45 included angle between the mirror plane and the horizontal plane of the microscope stage and between the mirror plane and the coronal plane, and mounted on the other end of the mirror image forming device support. With a simple structure and scheme, the attitude of a functional part of a microneedle can be calibrated to a desired state, i.e., a position relation where the lower edge of the functional part of the microneedle is parallel to the horizontal plane.

A method for testing includes capturing a sequence of video images of a sample comprising semen. The sequence of video images is analyzed by a processor so as to compute and output a motile sperm concentration of the sample.

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 automated biological sample collection system and methods are disclosed. The system comprises an incubator, an applicator and a sampler. The incubator is configured to control the environment of a plurality of eggs, the applicator is configured to deliver exogenous material to the plurality of eggs, at least one sampler is configured to collect samples from the plurality of eggs, invasively or non-invasively and a system controller is operable to drive the various components of the system automatically according to assay specifications and configuration.