A sperm sorting device

Abstract

The application relates to a sperm sorting device, which comprises a screening unit, a guiding unit and a storage unit connected in sequence from bottom to top, the screening unit is internally provided with microchannels and an annular channel, the microchannels are distributed radially with the axis of the screening unit as the center, the ends of the microchannels close to the axis of the screening unit meet each other and form a meeting area, the ends of the microchannels away from the axis of the screening unit are communicated with the annular channel, the screening unit is provided with an injection port communicated with the annular channel, the guiding unit is provided with a guiding cavity, and the storage unit is provided with a storage cavity. Sperms enter from the injection port, high-activity sperms in linear motion can quickly pass through the microchannels to enter the meeting area, preliminary sorting is realized, the sperms entering the meeting area move into the storage cavity in the upper direction under the guiding action of the guiding cavity, high-activity sperms can be further screened out, and finally the sperms screened out are stored in the storage cavity. Strongly active and high-quality sperms can be quickly and accurately screened out, and the working efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bioengineering technology, specifically to a sperm sorting device. Background Technology

[0002] When sperm motility is extremely poor or completely absent, existing morphological identification techniques are insufficient to determine the activity of sperm in such patients. Therefore, proprietary devices or systems are needed to screen for highly motile, morphologically normal, and / or genetically normal sperm. Existing screening devices or systems have long single-stage screening processes, which not only affect work efficiency, but also make sperm more prone to inactivation the longer the screening process, resulting in poor effectiveness.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a sperm sorting device that can quickly and accurately screen out highly active and morphologically normal sperm is an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a sperm sorting device, comprising: The screening unit has microchannels and annular channels inside. The microchannels are radially distributed around the axis of the screening unit. The ends of the microchannels facing the axis of the screening unit all intersect to form an intersection area. The ends of the microchannels away from the axis of the screening unit are connected through the annular channels. An injection port connected to the annular channels is provided on the screening unit. A guiding unit is installed above the screening unit. The guiding unit has a guiding cavity for guiding sperm upward movement. The guiding cavity is connected to the confluence area. A storage unit is installed above the guiding unit. The storage unit has a storage cavity that is connected to the guiding cavity. The storage cavity is used to store the screened sperm.

[0005] Preferably, the screening unit, the guiding unit, and the storage unit are all made of biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane or borosilicate glass.

[0006] Preferably, the inner walls of the microchannel and the annular channel are plasma polished, and the inner walls of the microchannel and the annular channel are coated with an alginate buffer layer.

[0007] Preferably, a liquid filter membrane is provided at the injection port, and the pore size of the liquid filter membrane is 5 μm.

[0008] Preferably, the guide cavity is filled with a biomimetic culture medium, and the concentration of the biomimetic culture medium in the guide cavity gradually increases from bottom to top.

[0009] Preferably, the guide cavity and the junction area are connected by a smooth transition.

[0010] Preferably, a one-way valve that opens from the guide cavity to the storage cavity is provided between the guide cavity and the storage cavity.

[0011] Preferably, the one-way valve adopts a flexible polyimide valve structure with a valve diameter of 1 mm to 1.5 mm and a valve opening pressure threshold of 0.05 kPa to 0.1 kPa.

[0012] Preferably, the inner wall of the storage cavity is coated with a uterine secretion mimic, which is composed of 20% cervical mucopolysaccharide, 10% ovalbumin, 5% glucose and 65% balanced salt solution.

[0013] Preferably, the storage cavity is provided with a heat preservation module and an optical counting sensor. The heat preservation module is used to control the temperature inside the storage cavity to be maintained between 36.5°C and 37.5°C, and the optical counting sensor is used to count the number of sperm inside the storage cavity.

[0014] This invention provides a sperm sorting device, comprising a sieving unit, a guiding unit, and a storage unit connected sequentially from bottom to top. The sieving unit has microchannels and an annular channel inside. The microchannels are radially distributed around the axis of the sieving unit, and their ends facing the axis of the sieving unit all intersect to form an intersection zone. The ends of the microchannels away from the axis of the sieving unit are connected through the annular channel. An injection port connected to the annular channel is provided on the sieving unit. The guiding unit has a guiding cavity that connects to the intersection zone. The storage unit has a storage cavity for storing the sieving sperm. In actual use, the sperm... The sperm enters through the injection port. Highly motile sperm moving in a straight line quickly pass through the microchannels into the confluence zone. Other sperm moving in a non-linear line or with low motility cannot pass through the channels due to deviation in their trajectory or remain within the microchannels or annular channels. Simultaneously, some highly motile sperm that have deviated in their movement can re-enter other microchannels from the annular channel and eventually enter the confluence zone, achieving preliminary sperm sorting. Sperm entering the confluence zone move upwards into the storage cavity under the guidance of the guide cavity, further separating highly motile and vigorous sperm. Finally, the sorted sperm are stored in the storage cavity. Using the sperm sorting device provided by this invention, highly active and high-quality sperm can be quickly and accurately sorted, improving work efficiency and reducing the overall time required for in vitro sperm testing and screening, thus increasing sperm survival rate. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the sperm sorting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2This is an overall cross-sectional view of the sperm sorting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the screening unit of the sperm sorting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Among them, 1. Screening unit; 11. Inlet; 12. Microchannel; 13. Annular channel; 14. Confluence zone; 2. Guiding unit; 21. Guiding cavity; 22. One-way valve; 3. Storage unit; 31. Storage cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a sperm sorting device, including a sieving unit 1, a guiding unit 2, and a storage unit 3 connected sequentially from bottom to top. The sieving unit 1 has microchannels 12 and annular channels 13 inside. The microchannels 12 are radially distributed around the axis of the sieving unit 1. The ends of the microchannels 12 closest to the axis of the sieving unit 1 all intersect to form an intersection area 14. The ends of the microchannels 12 furthest from the axis of the sieving unit 1 are connected through the annular channels 13. An injection port 11 connected to the annular channels 13 is provided on the sieving unit 1. The guiding unit 2 has a guiding cavity 21 connected to the intersection area 14. The storage unit 3 has a storage cavity 31 connected to the guiding cavity 21. The storage cavity 31 is used to store the sieving sperm. In actual use, sperm enters through the injection port 11. Highly motile sperm moving in a straight line quickly pass through the microchannel 12 into the confluence zone 14. Other sperm moving in a non-straight line or with low motility cannot pass through the channels due to trajectory deviation or remain in the microchannel 12 or the annular channel 13. Simultaneously, some highly motile sperm that have deviated from their trajectory can re-enter other microchannels 12 from the annular channel 13 and finally enter the confluence zone 14, enabling preliminary sperm sorting. Sperm entering the confluence zone 14 move upwards into the storage chamber 31 under the guidance of the guide cavity 21, further separating highly motile sperm. The finally sorted sperm are stored in the storage chamber 31. This method can quickly and accurately sort highly active and high-quality sperm, improving work efficiency and reducing the overall time required for in vitro sperm testing and screening, thus increasing sperm survival rate.

[0018] The screening unit 1 is a disc-shaped structure with a diameter of 10mm to 15mm and a thickness of 2mm to 3mm. Sixty uniformly radially distributed microchannels 12, each with a diameter of 8µm to 10µm, are formed within the screening unit 1. The inlet side of each microchannel 12 is located near the outer circumference of the screening unit 1, and an annular channel 13 is formed at this location near the outer circumference of the screening unit 1, connecting all the microchannels 12. The outlet sides of the microchannels 12 intersect. Alternatively, a series of microchannels can be formed within the screening unit 1. Figure 3 The circular chamber shown serves as the confluence zone 14, and the outlets of the microchannels 12 are all connected to this circular chamber, which is more conducive to the aggregation of sperm in this chamber and their subsequent movement into the guiding cavity 21.

[0019] Furthermore, the screening unit, guiding unit, and storage unit are all made of biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane or borosilicate glass, which is easy to mold and facilitates the fabrication of structures such as the injection port 11, microchannels 12, and annular channels 13 with small pore sizes. It also possesses high chemical stability and can be used to hold nutrient solutions or other related solutions. Of course, in actual production, other suitable materials can be used to prepare the corresponding components, as long as they meet the aforementioned functional requirements; this will not be elaborated upon here.

[0020] In one preferred embodiment, the inner walls of both the microchannel 12 and the annular channel 13 are plasma-polished and coated with an alginate buffer layer. This arrangement reduces the roughness of the wall surface and provides a softer protective layer to the rigid wall, allowing for smoother sperm flow within the channel and reducing adhesion and stagnation. In other words, the sperm's movement within the channel is more likely to be governed by its own swimming ability rather than by random interference from wall defects. Furthermore, a seminal plasma filter membrane with a pore size of 5 μm can be provided at the injection port 11 to pre-remove cell debris, impurities, and agglomerates from the seminal plasma, preventing microchannel blockage.

[0021] In one preferred embodiment, the guiding cavity 21 is filled with a biomimetic culture medium, the concentration of which gradually increases from bottom to top. Highly active sperm tend to swim towards the higher concentration of the nutrient solution, thus guiding them upstream. Low-activity sperm, unable to overcome gravity and other resistance in the nutrient solution, remain stuck in the lower part of the guiding cavity 21, thereby screening the sperm. Further, the guiding cavity 21 is a cylindrical chamber with a diameter of 3mm to 4mm and a height of 5mm to 6mm. The nutrient solution it contains contains glucose and L-carnitine, with a glucose concentration of 0.5-2 mmol / L and an L-carnitine concentration of 0.1-0.5 mmol / L. Of course, in some other embodiments, culture media such as sodium pyruvate or lactic acid can also be used, as long as the type of culture medium is conducive to sperm survival and can guide sperm movement based on a concentration gradient. Alternatively, highly active sperm can be guided upstream by temperature gradient thermodynamic guidance or electric field gradient electrodynamic guidance, which will not be elaborated here.

[0022] It should be noted that a smooth transition connection should be used between the guiding cavity 21 and the confluence area 14 to ensure smooth sperm motility. Figure 2 As shown, the guiding unit 2 and the screening unit 1 can be an integral structure, which is integrally molded by injection molding or other methods. This is more conducive to forming a smooth and continuous wall structure, thereby reducing the eddies generated at corners (or wall connection defects) that affect sperm movement and is beneficial to guiding sperm movement.

[0023] like Figure 2 As shown, in one preferred embodiment, a one-way valve 22 is provided between the guide cavity 21 and the storage cavity 31, which opens from the guide cavity 21 to the storage cavity 31. When the sperm swims upstream, the one-way valve 22 opens and allows the sperm to pass upward. After the sperm enters the storage cavity 31, the one-way valve 22 prevents the sperm from flowing back downward, which can keep the highly active sperm obtained by screening in the storage cavity 31 and improve the use effect.

[0024] Furthermore, the one-way valve 22 can adopt a polyimide valve structure with a valve diameter of 1 mm to 1.5 mm. In its natural state, it is closed, and the valve opening pressure threshold is 0.05 kPa to 0.1 kPa. It only allows sperm to ascend and open the valve under the influence of their own motility and the chemotaxis of nutritional factors, and enter the upper storage unit 3. When the valve is closed, it has good sealing performance and can completely prevent sperm backflow, thus avoiding the loss of sorted sperm.

[0025] In one preferred embodiment, the inner wall of the storage cavity 31 is coated with a uterine secretion mimicry, which consists of 20% cervical mucopolysaccharide, 10% ovalbumin, 5% glucose, and 65% balanced salt solution. This configuration allows sperm to maintain their activity within the storage cavity 31 and enables the further screening of potentially high-motility sperm. Of course, the uterine secretion mimicry may also contain other components, which will not be elaborated here.

[0026] Furthermore, a temperature insulation module and an optical counting sensor can be installed in the storage cavity 31. The temperature insulation module can be a PTC module, which can maintain the temperature of the storage cavity 31 between 36.5℃ and 37.5℃. The optical counting sensor uses fluorescence detection technology to count the number of sperm in the storage cavity in real time. An additional buffer replenishment tank can also be installed at the bottom of the storage cavity 31 to inject sperm preservation solution and extend the sperm's survival time in vitro.

[0027] The working process of the sperm sorting device provided by this invention is as follows: Chip pretreatment: The storage chamber 31 of the storage unit 3 is preheated to 37°C by the heat preservation module, and biomimetic culture medium is injected into the guide chamber 21 to ensure the stability of the nutrient factor gradient. An appropriate amount of sperm preservation solution is injected into the buffer replenishment tank of the storage chamber 31.

[0028] Sample injection: The diluted semen sample is injected through the injection port 11 of the bottom screening unit 1. The seminal plasma filter membrane removes impurities first, and the sperm suspension enters the radial microchannel.

[0029] Multi-channel parallel screening: Highly motile sperm with linear movement can quickly pass through microchannel 12 (passage time 10-20s), while non-linearly motile and low-motile sperm cannot pass through the channel or remain in the channel due to deviation in their movement trajectory, thus achieving preliminary sorting.

[0030] Bionic guidance upstream: After initial screening, sperm enter the middle guiding unit 2. Under the chemotactic effect of gradient nutrient factors, high-motility sperm continue to swim upstream, while low-motility sperm remain in the lower part of the chamber because they cannot overcome the concentration gradient.

[0031] One-way valve enters the storage unit: the highly active sperm upstream pushes open the top one-way valve 22 and enters the storage cavity 31 of the storage unit 3, where they maintain their activity in the biomimetic environment of the uterine secretion simulator and complete the final screening.

[0032] Subsequent operations: After sorting, disassemble storage unit 3, obtain the sperm count through an optical counting sensor, and use it directly for subsequent assisted reproductive operations under warm conditions, or seal and store it for later use.

[0033] The sperm sorting device provided by this invention features 60 radial microchannels 12 operating in parallel. Combined with a seminal plasma pre-filtration design, it avoids channel blockage and reduces the single sorting time to 30-40 minutes, thus improving sorting efficiency. The dual induction of gradient nutrient factors and a biomimetic environment accelerates the screening of highly motile sperm, further shortening the selection time. The entire process is free of centrifugation and mechanical squeezing. The buffer layer and rounded transition design of the inner wall of the microchannels 12 reduce frictional damage. The biomimetic culture medium and uterine secretion mimics maintain the physiological environment of the sperm, reducing the sperm damage probability to below 1% and the DNA fragmentation rate to more than 80% compared to traditional centrifugation methods. A one-way valve 22 prevents backflow and avoids the loss of sorted sperm. Multi-channel parallel screening reduces the omission of highly motile sperm. The insulation and buffer storage functions of the storage unit 3 prolong sperm activity, improving the overall recovery rate. This device integrates separation, screening, counting, insulation, and storage functions, requiring no complex equipment. Its detachable design facilitates subsequent use and meets the automation and precision requirements of clinical assisted reproduction.

[0034] The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this application; at the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the idea of ​​this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0035] Certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The terms "comprising" and "including" used throughout the specification and claims are open-ended and should be interpreted as "comprising / including but not limited to". "Approximately" means that within an acceptable margin of error, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and substantially achieve the technical effect within a certain margin of error. The following descriptions in the specification describe preferred embodiments of this application; however, these descriptions are intended to illustrate the general principles of this application. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention and should be covered by the claims.

Claims

1. A sperm sorting device, characterized in that, include: The screening unit has microchannels and annular channels inside. The microchannels are radially distributed around the axis of the screening unit. The ends of the microchannels facing the axis of the screening unit all intersect to form an intersection area. The ends of the microchannels away from the axis of the screening unit are connected through the annular channels. An injection port connected to the annular channels is provided on the screening unit. A guiding unit is installed above the screening unit. The guiding unit has a guiding cavity for guiding sperm upward movement. The guiding cavity is connected to the confluence area. A storage unit is installed above the guiding unit. The storage unit has a storage cavity that is connected to the guiding cavity. The storage cavity is used to store the screened sperm.

2. The sperm sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screening unit, the guiding unit, and the storage unit are all made of biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane or borosilicate glass.

3. The sperm sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner walls of both the microchannel and the annular channel are plasma polished, and the inner walls of both the microchannel and the annular channel are coated with an alginate buffer layer.

4. The sperm sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A liquid filter membrane is provided at the injection port, and the pore size of the liquid filter membrane is 5 μm.

5. The sperm sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guiding cavity is filled with a biomimetic culture medium, and the concentration of the biomimetic culture medium in the guiding cavity gradually increases from bottom to top.

6. The sperm sorting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A one-way valve is provided between the guide cavity and the storage cavity, which opens from the guide cavity to the storage cavity.

7. The sperm sorting device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The one-way valve adopts a flexible polyimide valve structure with a valve diameter of 1 mm to 1.5 mm and a valve opening pressure threshold of 0.05 kPa to 0.1 kPa.

8. The sperm sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the storage chamber is provided with a buffer replenishment tank, into which sperm preservation solution is injected.

9. The sperm sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the storage cavity is coated with a uterine secretion mimic, which consists of 20% cervical mucopolysaccharide, 10% ovalbumin, 5% glucose and 65% balanced salt solution.

10. The sperm sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage cavity is equipped with a heat preservation module and an optical counting sensor. The heat preservation module is used to control the temperature inside the storage cavity to be maintained between 36.5°C and 37.5°C, and the optical counting sensor is used to count the number of sperm inside the storage cavity.

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