Chemical delivery systems, device and methods are provided. A chemical delivery system may include a vessel and a chip. The vessel may include a groove configured to hold a solution. The groove includes an open surface, the open surface having a first surface area. The solution includes a target material. The chip includes a first side, a second side opposing the first side, and a bottom side. The chip includes one or more chambers configured to hold one or more chemicals, the one or more chambers including a bottom surface having a second surface area. The second surface area is greater than the first surface area. When one of the one or more chambers is positioned over the groove, the respective chemical in the chamber moves into the solution in the groove. The system increases the ease, stability, and reliability of a chemical delivery process.

An apparatus, that relates to the field of in vitro fertilization, is provided for the combined incubation and vitrification of a biological material. The apparatus can be configured to allow for automatic incubation and vitrification of a viable biological material. Thereby predetermined protocols for handling the biological material can be performed precisely and accurately thus avoiding errors and deviations from the intended protocol, as caused by manual human intervention.

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.

A method for separating motile organisms from other organisms. The method comprises controlling a fluid delivery unit to provide a fluid flow to a sample separating device (302). The fluid flow has a sample introduction flow velocity set so that a sample may be introduced into a sample introduction zone of the device. The sample introduction flow velocity is sufficiently high such that an organism in the sample is unable to exit the sample introduction zone. The method comprises controlling the fluid delivery unit to reduce the fluid flow velocity from the sample introduction flow velocity to an operational flow velocity lower than the sample introduction flow velocity (303). The operational flow velocity is selected such that motile organisms in the sample are able to swim against the fluid flow and enter a sample collection zone of the device.

A cell culture microdevice for maintaining and culturing a cell therein comprising a cell culture unit having at least a first cell carrier unit defining a cell culture chamber formed therein, the first cell carrier unit formed from at least, a chamber base shaped to support the cell thereon, and one or more chamber walls having one or more chamber wall surfaces enclosing the cell culture chamber about a chamber boundary, the first cell carrier unit further providing a guiding surface to guide instruments or fluids into the cell culture chamber located at an aperture through a chamber wall, wherein the cell culture microdevice is configured at a scale to substantially enclose a single cell or cell mass therein. Embodiments of the cell culture microdevice may be suitable for in vitro fertilisation procedures and drug efficacy testing.

The present invention relates to an operating liquid for Piezo-mediated microinjection. In particular, the present invention relates to use of purified perfluoron-octane or a composition comprising purified perfluoro-n-octane as operating liquid for Piezo-mediated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (Piezo-ICSI). The present invention further relates to methods of fertilising an oocyte in vitro by Piezo-ICSI using purified perfluoro-n-octane or a composition comprising purified perfluoro-noctane as operating liquid and methods of assisted reproduction using methods of the invention.

The present invention aims to provide a device for cryopreservation which enables easy and reliable cryopreservation of a cell or tissue. The device for cryopreservation of a cell or tissue of the present invention includes a deposition part on which a cell or tissue is to be deposited together with a preservation solution, wherein a surface of the deposition part includes a protrusion for holding a cell or tissue and a recess for storing a preservation solution.

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 apparatus, that relates to the field of in vitro fertilization, is provided for the combined incubation and vitrification of a biological material. The apparatus can be configured to allow for automatic incubation and vitrification of a viable biological material. Thereby predetermined protocols for handling the biological material can be performed precisely and accurately thus avoiding errors and deviations from the intended protocol, as caused by manual human intervention.

The present invention provides a sperm sorting chip and a method for sorting sperm using the same. Said sperm sorting chip includes: a flow channel structure sequentially configured with a gradually diverging flow field region, a main flow channel, and a gradually converging main flow channel intercommunicated with each other from a first side end to a second side end; a fluid injection port, a semen injection port, and a semen extraction port separately located at the first side end and communicated with a main input channel of the gradual diverging flow field region; and a waste fluid outlet located at the second side end and communicated with the gradually converging main flow channel. The gradually diverging flow field region further includes a plurality of sub-input channels derived from the main input channel and converged into the main flow channel, and the plurality of sub-input channels have a gradually widening channel width at the junction with the main flow channel. By contrast, the gradually converging main flow channel has a gradually narrowing channel width toward the waste fluid outlet.