Male fertility: Sperm selection may be improved with microfluidics

Microfluidics and Male fertility

Male infertility is rising

Infertility issue is increasing every year among men and women. You might not know this but in 4 of 10 cases of infertility, the male is either sole or contributing reason. There are different factors that can lead to this situation.

What are the factors which lead to male infertility?

  • Past infection
  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Medical Condition
  • Lifestyle factors
  • Environmental factors

Men at the age of 30 face the problem because at that time the fertility starts declining. After the age of 40, there is a risk of passing genetic abnormalities to the child. So, when you should seek the help of the doctor for male infertility treatment.

  • A low sperm count or other problems with sperm
  • Cancer treatment
  • Testicular, or sexual problems
  • Swelling in the scrotum or Small testicles
  • Someone in the family faced the problem.

What is the matter of concern?

Many studies have shown that men often face the problem of low sperm count (TSC) and sperm concentration (SC) decreased by 50 to 60 percent. Well, many research is going on to find the reasons behind male fertility. In that case, the technique of microfluidics is the best choice available.

What is the way to select the sperm?

  • The male fertility is often addressed by the treatment ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). In this procedure, the sperm is injected directly into the egg. During this process, the embryologist selects the sperm which is of the highest quality.
  • If the problem of infertility is with both men and women then IVF treatment is used along with it. In that make sure you visit the best IVF Center in Punjab to get a reliable treatment plan.
  • The sperm is selected according to the way it moves and looks. In the standard procedure, the sperm is selected by using the swim-up technique along with density gradient separation.
  • Density gradient selection: Viable sperm is selected but high DNA fragmentation is produced which can harm the sperm.
  • Swim-up technique: Good swimmers sperm are selected.

What is microfluidics?

  • Microfluidic sperm sorters help separate the morphologically normal sperm with high motility and no debris is present in the nano environment, which relies on different variables like viscosity, velocity, fluid density, and size of the environment.
  • They are constrained to a very small scale chip which gives a pattern of engraved microchannels.
  • As they make their way to the egg, in tiny mucosa microchannels the sperm travels to the uterus from the cervix. With this, the sperm with the best functioning is selected. With the microfluidics, it helps in creating the same environment which resembles the women reproductive tract. This means the sperm of the best health will be selected for the ICSI.