Sperm sorting assistance device, sperm sorting assistance system, and sperm sorting assistance program

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a sperm sorting assistance device that enables selection of high-quality sperm suitable for intracytoplasmic sperm injection from among sperm in a specimen. The present disclosure provides a sperm sorting assistance device comprising: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index relating to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; an evaluation unit that, on the basis of the at least one index, relatively evaluates the quality of first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the moving image and second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval in the moving image; and a display control unit that, in the first time interval in the moving image, displays information relating to the at least one index of the first sperm in association with the first sperm, and displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit.

Description

Sperm sorting assistance device, sperm sorting assistance system, and sperm sorting assistance program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sperm sorting assistance device, a sperm sorting assistance system, and a sperm sorting assistance program.

[0002] As one of the infertility treatments, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in which sperm are directly injected into the cytoplasm of an egg for fertilization, has been developed and put into practical use. In ICSI, sperm immobilization, sperm inhalation, and sperm injection into the egg are performed while observing the sperm and egg under a microscope, so ICSI is also called intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

[0003] To increase the success rate of ICSI, it is important to select sperm and inject only those of high quality suitable for fertilization into the egg. However, the quality of the sperm obtained through the selection process largely depends on the experience of the embryologist, and fertilization success rates tend to vary among embryologists. Therefore, a technology for objectively selecting high-quality sperm is needed.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a microscope system that assists in selecting good sperm during intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

[0005] International Publication No. 2020 / 138279

[0006] However, currently, technology to support ICSI is still under development. The present disclosure provides a sperm selection assistance device, a sperm selection assistance system, and a sperm selection assistance program that enable the selection of good sperm suitable for ICSI from sperm in a sample.

[0007] A sperm selection assistance device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; an evaluation unit that relatively evaluates the quality of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the moving image and a second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval in the moving image based on the at least one index; and a display control unit that displays information related to at least one index of the first sperm in association with the first sperm during the first time interval in the moving image, and displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit.

[0008] This sperm selection assisting device displays a relative quality evaluation of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the video relative to a second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval in the video. This allows for a more objective sperm quality evaluation than sperm selection performed by comparing sperm present within the same time interval. This makes it possible to select good sperm suitable for ICSI from the sperm in the sample.

[0009] A sperm selection assist system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an imaging device that captures moving images of sperm, and a sperm selection assist device according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] A sperm sorting assistance program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to function as an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; an evaluation unit that relatively evaluates the quality of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the moving image and a second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval in the moving image based on the at least one index; and a display control unit that displays information related to at least one index of the first sperm in association with the first sperm during the first time interval in the moving image, and displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit.

[0011] The sperm selection assistance system and program display a relative quality evaluation of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the video relative to a second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval in the video. This allows for a more objective sperm quality evaluation than sperm selection performed by comparing sperm present within the same frame. This makes it possible to select good sperm suitable for ICSI from among the sperm in a sample.

[0012] In addition, the program according to one aspect of the present disclosure can be installed or loaded onto a computer and / or device through various recording media such as optical disks such as CD-ROMs, magnetic disks, and semiconductor memories, or by downloading via a communication network, etc.

[0013] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "unit" does not simply mean a physical component, but also includes cases where the functions of that component are realized by software. Furthermore, the functions of one component may be realized by two or more physical components, or the functions of two or more components may be realized by one physical component.

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a sperm selection assistance device, a sperm selection assistance system, a sperm selection assistance program, etc. that enable the selection of good sperm suitable for intracytoplasmic sperm injection from sperm in a sample.

[0015] FIG. 1 is an overall conceptual diagram of a sperm selection assist system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of a sperm selection assist device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a moving image acquired by an acquisition unit of a sperm selection assist device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 shows an example of a database storing sperm indices in a memory unit of a sperm selection assist device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of a moving image displayed by a sperm selection assist device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing switching of moving images generated by a sperm selection assist device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is an example of the physical configuration of a sperm selection assist device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of steps of a sperm selection method according to the present embodiment.

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, proportions, etc. Parts in which the dimensional relationships and proportions differ from one another may be included.

[0017] [Sperm selection assist system] A sperm selection assist system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an overall conceptual diagram of the sperm selection assist system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0018] The sperm selection assisting system 1 according to this embodiment includes a sperm selection assisting device 10 according to this embodiment and an imaging device 20 that captures moving images of sperm. The sperm are contained in a sample S.

[0019] The sample S includes sperm obtained from a patient or subject who wishes to undergo ICSI. In addition to sperm, the sample S may also include a sperm culture medium or a highly viscous liquid that inhibits sperm motility (e.g., a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution). The sample S may be placed in a dish made of glass or resin, for example.

[0020] The imaging device 20 acquires captured moving images obtained by observing the sample S. In Fig. 1, the imaging device 20 captures an image in a planar view from a vertically above direction of the sample S, but the imaging device 20 does not necessarily have to be provided vertically above the sample S as long as it can acquire moving images including the sperm in the sample S. The imaging device 20 performs a magnified observation of the sample S and captures images of some of the sperm in the sample S.

[0021] The imaging device 20 may be configured with, for example, an imaging device equipped with a CCD camera or a CMOS sensor. The imaging device 20 may capture an image of the sample S via an optical microscope. Observation methods using an optical microscope include, but are not limited to, bright-field observation, dark-field observation, phase contrast observation, polarization observation, spindle observation, differential interference observation, and relief contrast observation. The magnification of the objective lens may also be adjusted appropriately, and may be, for example, 20x, 40x, 60x, etc. The imaging device 20 acquires moving images of the sperm contained in the sample S. At this time, the sperm selection assist device 10 may adjust the settings of the imaging device 20 and / or the microscope system attached to the imaging device 20 in order to capture images of the sperm with high resolution. Such adjustments may be performed by the person performing ICSI.

[0022] The sperm selection assistance system 1 may include a microscope system in its configuration. In this case, the sample S is placed on a stage of the microscope, and the imaging device 20 magnifies and images the sample S through the microscope.

[0023] In this case, the sperm selection assistance system 1 may include a mechanism for electrically driving the stage on which the sample S is placed. According to this aspect, by controlling the imaging device 20 and the driving mechanism, it is possible to capture images while tracking specific sperm.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, the sperm selection assistance device 10 is connected to the imaging device 20. In Fig. 1, the sperm selection assistance device 10 is connected to the imaging device 20 by wire, but they may be connected wirelessly or may be physically integrated. Therefore, the imaging device 20 may be included in the sperm selection assistance device 10 as a part of the sperm selection assistance device 10.

[0025] The sperm selection assisting device 10 assists sperm selection by analyzing the moving images of sperm acquired by the imaging device 20. However, the sperm selection assisting device 10 may also acquire separately captured moving images of sperm and assist in sperm selection for the sperm contained in the moving images. The sperm selection assisting device 10 will be described in detail below.

[0026] (Sperm selection assisting device) Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the sperm selection assisting device 10. The sperm selection assisting device 10 comprises an acquisition unit 11, an index calculation unit 12, a memory unit 13, an evaluation unit 14, a display control unit 15, and a recognition unit 16. The sperm selection assisting device 10 calculates an index related to the quality of sperm contained in the video image acquired by the acquisition unit 11 using the index calculation unit 12. The calculated index is stored in the memory unit 13, and the evaluation unit 14 evaluates the quality of the sperm based on the stored index. For sperm whose quality has been evaluated, information related to the index is displayed in association with the index, and the quality evaluated by the evaluation unit 14 is displayed by the display control unit 15. At this time, the recognition unit 16 recognizes, identifies, and / or tracks the sperm. This enables the sperm selection assisting device 10 to select good sperm suitable for ICSI from sperm in a sample.

[0027] The acquisition unit 11 acquires captured moving images of a sample acquired by the imaging device 20. The captured moving images include two or more different time intervals during which at least one sperm is imaged. The acquisition unit 11 may acquire moving images captured by the imaging device 20 in real time, or may acquire moving images captured in the past by the imaging device 20. The previously captured moving images may be edited moving images from which time intervals during which no sperm are imaged have been deleted.

[0028] 3A and 3B are conceptual diagrams of moving images acquired by the acquisition unit 11. As shown in Fig. 3A, the moving images acquired by the acquisition unit 11 include a plurality of time intervals during which sperm are imaged.

[0029] The acquired video includes at least a first time interval during which the first sperm was imaged and a second time interval different from the first time interval during which the second sperm was imaged. The video may further include a third time interval different from the first and second time intervals during which the third sperm was imaged. In FIG. 3A, the video includes the first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval. Therefore, the video includes multiple different time intervals during which the sperm were imaged. Hereinafter, multiple time intervals including the first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval may be referred to as multiple different time intervals. Furthermore, below, with reference to Figure 3, we will explain a moving image including a first time interval, a second time interval, and a third time interval during which the first sperm, the second sperm, and the third sperm were respectively imaged.However, the moving image may include the first time interval and the second time interval during which the first sperm and the second sperm were respectively imaged, or may further include additional time intervals during which additional sperm such as a fourth, fifth, sixth, etc. were respectively imaged.

[0030] In this specification, a "time interval" of a moving image refers to a time interval defined by each frame of the moving image, and consists of one or more frames. The above-mentioned time interval may be a time interval consisting of one or more frames, but is preferably a time interval consisting of two or more frames. By having a time interval consisting of two or more frames, it is possible to identify the movement of sperm from the time interval, and therefore it is possible to evaluate the quality of sperm based on sperm motility. Note that when the time interval consists of one frame, it is possible to evaluate the quality based at least on the morphology of the sperm.

[0031] The time intervals of the first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval are not particularly limited. For example, the time of the moving images may be the oldest in the first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval, in that order. In this case, the first time interval is the time interval at which the moving images were captured the earliest. Alternatively, the time of the moving images may be the newest in the first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval, in that order. In this case, the third time interval is the time interval at which the moving images were captured the earliest. When the acquisition unit 11 acquires moving images in real time and performs real-time sperm sorting, the first time interval is preferably the most recently acquired time interval as shown in FIG. 3A , and more preferably the time intervals of moving images acquired in real time. In this case, the second time interval and the third time interval are time intervals acquired before the first time interval. In this embodiment, the quality of the sperm being imaged in real time can be evaluated based on the sperm included in the previously imaged second and third time intervals, thereby assisting the ICSI practitioner (typically, an embryologist) in sperm sorting in real time.

[0032] In addition, if the video images are taken at the first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval in descending order, and the first time interval is the oldest time interval, the sperm selection assistance device 10 evaluates the quality of the first sperm imaged in the past based on the second and third sperm imaged thereafter. According to this aspect, after the first sperm has already been selected and aspirated using the sperm injection tool, the quality of the first sperm can be evaluated based on the sperm imaged thereafter, allowing the embryologist's sperm selection proficiency to be evaluated. Alternatively, after the first sperm is injected into an egg, the quality of the injected first sperm can be evaluated based on the sperm imaged thereafter. In this case, for example, after the first sperm, second sperm, and third sperm are injected into an egg, the relative fertilization success rate, blastocyst formation rate, or implantation rate of each can be evaluated.

[0033] The first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval are different from one another. The term "different from one another" means that the time intervals do not include the same frames, but are made up of different frames. Therefore, the first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval do not include overlapping time intervals. The first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval may be separated by one or more frames. The first time interval, the second time interval, and the third time interval may each independently be, for example, 0.5 seconds, 1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 5 minutes.

[0034] Fig. 3(B) is a conceptual diagram showing an image obtained by cutting out one frame included in a first time interval of the acquired video, while Fig. 3(C) and Fig. 3(D) are conceptual diagrams showing images obtained by cutting out one frame included in a second time interval and a third time interval of the acquired video, respectively.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3B, a frame 41 included in a first time interval of the moving image captures multiple sperm, including a first sperm 41a and other sperm 41b to 41e. Each frame included in the first time interval needs to include at least the first sperm 41a, and the other frames included in the first time interval do not need to include any of the sperm 41b to 41e. The first time interval may be a frame in which the first sperm 41a is present in the imaging field of view, or a portion of a moving image consisting of multiple frames in which the first sperm 41a is present in the imaging field of view may be cut out to be the first time interval.

[0036] 3C, a frame 42 included in the second time interval of the moving image captures a plurality of sperm, including a second sperm 42a and other sperm 41c and 42b-42c. The frame 42 included in the second time interval includes a second sperm 42a that is not determined to be identical to the sperm 41a-41e included in the first time interval. The frame 42 included in the second time interval may also include a sperm 41c that is determined to be identical to the sperm 41c captured in the frame 41 included in the first time interval.

[0037] Note that determining that sperm included in two frames are the same means that the recognition unit 16, described below, determines that the sperm are the same. It may be difficult to accurately determine whether two sperm captured at different time intervals are the same or different. Therefore, for two sperm not determined to be the same by the recognition unit 16, there is no restriction on whether the sperm are actually the same or different. That is, the recognition unit 16 may determine that the sperm included in two frames are the same if it can reliably determine that the sperm are the same. For example, if a sperm captured in a first frame is always present in the field of view of the moving image in each frame between the first and second frames, the recognition unit 16 can determine that the sperm is also captured in the second frame.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3(D), a frame 43 included in the third time interval of the moving image captures multiple sperm, including a third sperm 43a and another sperm 41c. The frame 43 included in the third time interval includes a third sperm 43a that is not determined to be identical to the sperm 41a-41e included in the first time interval and the sperm 42a-42c included in the second time interval. The frame 43 included in the third time interval may include a sperm 41c that is determined to be identical to the sperm 41c captured in the frame 41 included in the first time interval. The frame 43 may also include a sperm that is determined to be identical to the sperm captured in the frame 42 included in the second time interval.

[0039] Therefore, in the acquired video image, the time interval, the first sperm, the second sperm, and / or the third sperm may be selected so that the second sperm and / or the third sperm are not included in the first time interval. The time interval, the first sperm, the second sperm, and / or the third sperm may be selected so that the first sperm and / or the third sperm are not included in the second time interval. The time interval, the first sperm, the second sperm, and / or the third sperm may be selected so that the first sperm and / or the second sperm are not included in the third time interval. That is, at least one of the multiple sperm imaged in each different time interval may be different.

[0040] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first sperm, the second sperm, and the third sperm are different from one another. However, as described above, it may be difficult to accurately distinguish sperm at different time intervals as different sperm. Therefore, the first sperm, the second sperm, and the third sperm may be sperm that are not determined to be identical by the recognition unit 16. The first sperm, the second sperm, and the third sperm may be different from one another, or two or more of these three sperm may be the same sperm. Two or more of the first sperm, the second sperm, and the third sperm are the same sperm when, for example, the second sperm imaged at the second time interval leaves the imaging field of view, and then returns to the imaging field of view at the subsequent first time interval and is recognized as the first sperm without being determined to be identical to the second sperm.

[0041] Furthermore, the imaging location and / or imaging field of view during the first time interval may be changed from the imaging location and / or imaging field of view during the second time interval. According to this aspect, it is possible to perform a relative evaluation of sperm at different locations in the sample S, and to more objectively select good sperm suitable for ICSI from the sperm in the specimen.

[0042] The acquisition unit 11 may be realized by a communication unit 10d described later.

[0043] Returning to Figure 2, the index calculation unit 12 calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in the video. Sperm quality refers to the properties of each sperm related to the fertilization success rate, blastocyst formation rate, implantation rate, and / or birth success rate when used in ICSI. High sperm quality means that the fertilization success rate, blastocyst formation rate, implantation rate, and / or birth success rate when used in ICSI are relatively high.

[0044] The at least one index related to sperm quality is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, an index described in the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen (Sixth Edition) published by the World Health Organization (WHO). Such an index may include, for example, at least one of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation, or an index calculated from two or more of these.

[0045] The index calculation unit 12 may calculate at least one index related to sperm quality using various methods. For example, sperm motility can be indexed by the speed of movement over a predetermined time interval and the linearity of the movement trajectory. The index calculation unit 12 can track sperm over a predetermined time interval and calculate the speed of movement, linear velocity, curvilinear velocity, and linearity of the movement trajectory based on the sperm's position information in each frame. Sperm motility may also be calculated using a learning model trained using sperm quality and movement as training data. The index calculation unit 12 may accept conditions that affect sperm motility, such as the preparation method of the sample S, viscosity, and concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in the sample S, and index the motility based on those conditions.

[0046] Sperm morphology can be indexed based on the morphology of the sperm captured in each frame. The index calculation unit 12 may index the morphology of one sperm based on multiple frames and calculate a single index by averaging these values. Sperm morphology can be indexed based on, for example, the shape of the sperm head, the shape of the tail, and the balance of their defects and sizes. The index calculation unit 12 may calculate the number of head vacuoles, the head aspect ratio, and / or morphologically abnormal areas and the number of abnormal areas, and calculate an index based on these values. Sperm motility may be calculated using a learning model trained using sperm quality and morphology as training data.

[0047] The degree of sperm DNA fragmentation can be indexed by comprehensively considering the sperm's movement, such as the speed of movement over a predetermined time interval and the linearity of the movement trajectory, as well as the sperm's morphology captured in each frame. The degree of sperm DNA fragmentation may be calculated using a learning model trained using the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation and the sperm's movement and / or morphology as training data. The index calculation unit 12 may calculate the degree of sperm DNA damage and / or the number of damaged pieces, and calculate an index based on these values. The degree of sperm DNA fragmentation can be measured using a stained image in which sperm with DNA fragmentation are selectively stained.

[0048] The index calculation unit 12 may calculate an index that comprehensively evaluates sperm quality by taking into consideration two or more of the above-mentioned indices. The index calculation unit 12 may calculate an average index after arbitrarily weighting the indices related to sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation. In this case, if any of the indices is below a threshold, a penalty may be imposed by subtracting a certain number from the calculated index.

[0049] The index calculation unit 12 may normalize the calculated index, for example, by setting the lowest evaluation as 0 and the highest evaluation as 10 or 100.

[0050] The index calculation unit 12 may be realized by a program stored in the RAM 10 b or ROM 10 c described below and executed by the CPU 10 a. The index calculated by the index calculation unit 12 may be stored in the RAM 10 b or ROM 10 c described below and may be transmitted to each unit and device via the communication unit 10 d.

[0051] The storage unit 13 stores at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12. The information stored in the storage unit 13 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a database in the storage unit 13 that stores sperm indexes.

[0052] 4, the storage unit 13 stores the indices recognized by the recognition unit 16 in the moving image acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and calculated by the index calculation unit 12. An individual ID is assigned to each sperm recognized by the recognition unit 16 in the moving image, and the time in the moving image at which the recognition unit 16 recognized the sperm and / or the time in the moving image at which the index calculation unit 12 completed calculation of the index are stored in association with each ID.

[0053] The indexes calculated by the index calculation unit 12 are also stored in association with each ID. The storage unit 13 may store all of the indexes calculated by the index calculation unit 12, or may store only some of the indexes.

[0054] In FIG. 4, the record with ID XXX and acquisition time 01:23:68 and the record with ID XXX and acquisition time 02:20:13 are assigned the same ID. This is because the recognition unit 16 determined that the sperm with acquisition time 01:23:68 and the sperm with acquisition time 02:20:13 are the same. Even if a sperm that once entered the imaging field of view of the moving image and had its index calculated leaves the imaging field of view of the moving image and then returns to the imaging field of view, the same ID may be assigned if the recognition unit 16 determines that the sperm are the same. Note that if the recognition unit 16 does not determine that the sperm are the same, different IDs may be assigned. The recognition unit 16 may determine that two sperm with matching multiple indexes are the same sperm.

[0055] The storage unit 13 may be realized by a RAM 10b or a ROM 10c, which will be described later.

[0056] Returning to Figure 2, the evaluation unit 14 relatively evaluates the quality of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the video and a second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval in the video based on at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12.

[0057] In this way, by comparing the quality of the first sperm relative to the second sperm, the quality of two sperm imaged at different time intervals can be evaluated, allowing for a more objective sperm quality assessment than when sperm are sorted by comparing sperm present within the same time interval.

[0058] Specifically, conventional sperm selection assistance devices, for example, compare multiple sperm contained in a microscope's imaging field of view and present the practitioner with sperm of relatively high quality. However, in such cases, although it can assist in selecting sperm of relatively high quality in the imaging field of view, it is unclear what level of quality the selected sperm have among all the sperm contained in the specimen. The sperm selection assistance device 10 of this embodiment can evaluate the quality of the sperm to be evaluated based on sperm recognized at different time intervals as described above, so it can not only select sperm of relatively high quality within the imaging field of view, but also assist in selecting sperm of relatively high quality among all the sperm in the specimen.

[0059] Therefore, it is preferable that the evaluation unit 14 not only compares the first sperm with sperm imaged at different time intervals, but also with sperm present within the same time interval. That is, it is preferable that the evaluation unit 14 further evaluates the relative quality of multiple sperm including the first sperm recognized during the first time interval based on the index calculated by the index calculation unit 12.

[0060] An example of evaluation by the evaluation unit 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The evaluation unit 14 evaluates a first sperm 41a captured in a frame 41 included in the first time interval shown in FIG. 3B. In this case, in one embodiment, the evaluation unit 14 may evaluate the relative quality of the multiple sperm 41a-41d recognized during the first time interval and select the sperm evaluated as having relatively superior quality among the multiple sperm 41a-41d as the first sperm. The evaluation unit 14 may compare the quality of the multiple sperm 41a-41d based on at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12. For example, the relative evaluation of quality may be performed based on the magnitude of any index calculated by the index calculation unit 12, preferably an index calculated from two or more of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation. Alternatively, one or more sperm for which at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12 exceeds a predetermined threshold may be selected as the first sperm. When multiple sperm are selected as the first sperm, a relative evaluation of the quality of each of the selected multiple sperm is performed with respect to the quality of the second sperm.

[0061] In this specification, the threshold for determining the quality of a particular sperm among multiple sperm may be the top 50% or more, the top 75% or more, or the top 90% or more based on the cell count of the multiple sperm in the population, or may be the top five, top three, top two, or top one. Alternatively, a threshold may be set based on the male infertility diagnosis of the patient or subject who wishes to undergo ICSI who provided the sperm, and the quality of the sperm may be determined to be excellent if a specific index exceeds the threshold. Alternatively, the judgment may be made by visual inspection by the ICSI practitioner, or by values ​​measured by a CASA (Computer-Aided Sperm Analyzer) or SQA (Sperm Quality Analyzer). Alternatively, a threshold may be set by referring to the distribution (histogram) of indexes among multiple sperm created as described below, and the quality of the sperm may be determined to be excellent if a specific index exceeds the threshold.

[0062] When the evaluation unit 14 performs a relative evaluation of the quality of the first sperm 41a, the evaluation unit 14 evaluates the quality of the first sperm 41a relative to that of the second sperm 42a captured in the frame 42 included in the second time interval shown in Fig. 3(C). The evaluation unit 14 may compare the quality of the first sperm 41a with that of the second sperm 42a based on at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12. For example, the relative evaluation of quality is performed based on the magnitude of any index calculated by the index calculation unit 12, preferably an index calculated from two or more of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation.

[0063] In one embodiment, when selecting the second sperm 42a, the evaluation unit 14 may evaluate the relative quality of the multiple sperm 42a to 42c, among the multiple sperm recognized during the second time interval, that are not judged to be identical to the sperm recognized during the first time interval, and select the sperm evaluated to be of relatively superior quality among the multiple sperm 42a to 42c as the second sperm.

[0064] In one embodiment, the evaluation unit 14 may perform a relative evaluation of the first sperm and the second sperm by referring to at least one index of the second sperm stored in the memory unit 13. In this case, the evaluation unit 14 may use, as the second sperm, any sperm among the sperm stored in the memory unit 13 that is not determined to be identical to the sperm recognized in the first time interval, to evaluate the quality relative to the first sperm. Alternatively, the evaluation unit 14 may use, as the second sperm, any sperm that is determined to be of relatively superior quality from among the sperm that is not determined to be identical to the sperm recognized in the first time interval.

[0065] When relatively evaluating the quality of the first sperm 41 a, as long as the relative evaluation with respect to the second sperm 42 a is performed, further relative evaluation with respect to other sperm may be performed. For example, the evaluation unit 14 may relatively evaluate the quality of the first sperm and a third sperm recognized during a third time interval in the video, which is different from the first time interval and the second time interval, based on at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12.

[0066] In one embodiment, the evaluation unit 14 may perform a relative evaluation between the first sperm 41a and a plurality of sperms for which at least one index is stored in the memory unit 13. In this case, the plurality of sperms includes the second sperm. According to this aspect, the quality of the first sperm can be evaluated in a relative evaluation between the plurality of sperms that were identified before the first sperm, had their indexes calculated, and have at least one index stored in the memory unit 13.

[0067] The method for performing a relative evaluation between the first sperm 41a and multiple sperm having at least one index stored in the memory unit 13 is not particularly limited. For example, a distribution (histogram) of the indexes possessed by the multiple sperm to be compared may be created, and an evaluation may be performed to determine where the index possessed by the first sperm 41a is located in the distribution, for example, in the top percentage. The evaluation unit 14 may retrieve information about the multiple sperm having at least one index stored in the memory unit 13 from the memory unit 13 and calculate a comprehensive evaluation of the sperm in the sample S. For example, the evaluation unit 14 may calculate at least one of the following: the number or rate of abnormal sperm in the sample S (the number or rate of sperm with abnormalities in morphology), the number or rate of sperm with a motility index exceeding a threshold (motile sperm), the number or rate of sperm with a motility index below a threshold (immotile sperm), sperm concentration, and the rate of motile sperm to immotile sperm (sperm motility rate).

[0068] The evaluation unit 14 may be realized by a program stored in the RAM 10 b or ROM 10 c described below and executed by the CPU 10 a. The evaluation by the evaluation unit 14 may be stored in the RAM 10 b or ROM 10 c described below and may be transmitted to each unit and device via the communication unit 10 d.

[0069] Returning to Figure 2, the display control unit 15 displays information regarding at least one indicator of the first sperm in association with the first sperm during a first time interval in the moving image, and also displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit 14.

[0070] If the moving image acquired by the acquisition unit 11 is a moving image captured in the past, the display control unit 15 may edit each frame included in the first time interval in the moving image, associate and display information regarding at least one indicator of the first sperm, and display an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit 14.

[0071] When the acquisition unit 11 acquires moving images in real time and performs sperm sorting in real time, and the first time interval is the time interval of the moving images acquired in real time, the display control unit 15 may, as soon as an evaluation by the evaluation unit 14 is obtained, display information on at least one index of the first sperm in association with the moving images acquired in real time, and may also display an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit 14. Therefore, the display control unit 15 can also be referred to as a moving image generation unit that generates a moving image displaying the evaluation.

[0072] The information displayed by the display control unit 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is an example of a display image 50 that displays at least one index related to the first sperm and an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit 14 in frame 41 in the first time interval shown in Fig. 3(B).

[0073] As shown in Fig. 5, in the frame 41, the sperm 41a is provided with information 51a indicating that it is a first sperm, i.e., indicating the relative quality evaluation of the sperm 41a compared to the second sperm. The information 51a may be any shape that surrounds the sperm 41a, and its shape is not limited to a circle but may be, for example, an ellipse, a polygon, a star, or the like. The information 51a may include ID information that identifies the sperm 41a. In Fig. 5, the information 51a includes information that the ID of the sperm 41a is 0065.

[0074] In the example shown in Fig. 5, sperm 41b and 41c are also selected as the first sperm, and are assigned information 51b and 51c indicating that the relative quality evaluations of the sperm 41b and 41c with respect to the second sperm are displayed. In Fig. 5, the information 51b and 51c include the IDs of the sperm 41b and 41c being 0046 and 0084, respectively.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 5 , when there are multiple sperm in frame 41 that display a quality evaluation relative to the second sperm, information 51a, 51b, and 51c indicating that the quality evaluation relative to the second sperm is displayed may further include information indicating the relative quality of each sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c, and may include information regarding at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12. The information 51a, 51b, and 51c may indicate the relative quality of each sperm by the shape, appearance, or color of a figure surrounding the sperm, and may indicate the magnitude of at least one index by the shape, appearance, or color of the figure surrounding the sperm. In FIG. 5 , the colors of the figures surrounding the sperm are emphasized in descending order of quality, i.e., the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c. The shape, appearance, or color of the figure surrounding the sperm may be adjusted to emphasize only the sperm with the highest quality. The information 51 a, 51 b, and 51 c may indicate the ranking of quality among the sperm contained in the frame 41, or may indicate the ranking of quality among multiple sperm stored in the memory unit 13.

[0076] 5, the display image 50 has an area 52 that displays the relative quality evaluation of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit 14. The configuration of the area 52 is not particularly limited as long as it displays the relative quality evaluation of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit 14. In FIG. 5, the relative quality evaluation of the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c evaluated by the evaluation unit 14 is displayed relative to the second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval. More specifically, the area 52 displays a histogram of the indices possessed by multiple sperm stored in the memory unit 13, and displays information 53 indicating where in the histogram the indices possessed by the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c are located. That is, area 52 shows a relative evaluation of the quality of the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c, and a plurality of sperm having at least one index stored in memory 13, including a second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval. In Fig. 5, the IDs 0065, 0084, and 0046 assigned to the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c are displayed as information 53 at the positions of the histogram where each sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c is present. Area 52 may also display a comprehensive evaluation of the sperm in sample S estimated from the plurality of sperm stored in memory 13. Area 52 may display at least one type selected from the group consisting of the number of abnormal sperm or abnormality rate in sample S (the number or percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology), the number or percentage of sperm whose motility index exceeds a threshold (motile sperm), the number or percentage of sperm whose motility index is below a threshold (immotile sperm), sperm concentration, and the percentage of motile sperm and immotile sperm (sperm motility rate).

[0077] The display image 50 may further display enlarged images 54a, 54b, and 54c of the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c, which indicate the relative quality evaluation of the sperm compared to the second sperm. By displaying the enlarged images, the ICSI practitioner can focus on the morphology and movement of each sperm. The enlarged images may also include at least one of the ID and / or index of the enlarged sperm. In FIG. 5, an index that comprehensively evaluates the sperm quality calculated from multiple indexes related to the sperm displayed in area 55 (described below) is displayed on the enlarged images.

[0078] The display image 50 may display at least one index associated with the first sperm. In FIG. 5 , regions 55a, 55b, and 55c displaying indexes for the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c are displayed in association with enlarged images 54a, 54b, and 54c of the sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c, respectively, displaying their relative quality evaluations with respect to the second sperm. The displayed index is not particularly limited as long as it is at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12. In FIG. 5 , indexes indicating the motility, morphology, and degree of DNA fragmentation of each sperm are displayed. Here, the index indicating sperm motility may be one or more selected from the group consisting of movement speed, linear velocity, curved velocity, and linearity of the movement trajectory, as well as a value that may be calculated from these values ​​to comprehensively indicate sperm motility. The indicator of sperm morphology may be one or more selected from the group consisting of the shape of the sperm head, the shape of the tail, the number of head vacuoles, the balance of their sizes (e.g., the head aspect ratio), abnormal morphological areas and the number of abnormal areas, and a value that may be calculated from these values ​​to comprehensively indicate the morphology of sperm.The indicator of the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation may be one or more selected from the group consisting of the degree of sperm DNA damage and the number of damaged areas, and a value that may be calculated from these values ​​to comprehensively indicate the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation.

[0079] In addition, the display control unit 15 can switch between displaying a moving image in which information regarding at least one indicator is associated with the first sperm, and a moving image in which information regarding at least one indicator is not displayed.

[0080] Switching of moving images in the display control unit 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6(A) is an example of a frame in which information 51a, 51b, and 51c described with reference to Fig. 5 is displayed as information on at least one index for sperm 41a, 41b, and 41c in frame 41 during the first time interval shown in Fig. 3(B). In Fig. 6(A), information 51a, 51b, and 51c indicate that a relative quality evaluation with respect to the second sperm is displayed, and also indicate the top three sperm with the highest predetermined index in frame 41. In addition, the colors of the figures surrounding the sperm for information 51a, 51b, and 51c are emphasized to indicate that the predetermined index is higher in that order.

[0081] 6(B) is an example of a frame 41 in the first time interval shown in FIG. 3(B) in which information about at least one index is not displayed for the first sperm. As shown in FIG. 6(B), the moving image that does not display information about at least one index may be a moving image acquired by the acquisition unit 11, or may be a moving image that is not displayed by the display control unit 15.

[0082] Fig. 6(C) is an example of a frame in which information 51a described with reference to Fig. 5 is displayed as information on at least one index for sperm 41a in frame 41 in the first time interval shown in Fig. 3(B). In Fig. 6(C), information 51a indicates that the relative quality evaluation with respect to the second sperm is displayed, and also indicates the sperm with the highest predetermined index in frame 41.

[0083] The display control unit 15 may be realized by a program stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c described below and executed by CPU 10a. The moving images displayed by the display control unit 15 may be stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c described below, and may be transmitted to each unit and device via communication unit 10d, or may be displayed on display unit 10f. When the sperm selection assistance device 10 is connected to a microscope system, the moving images displayed by the display control unit 15 may be transmitted to the microscope system via communication unit 10d and projected onto the eyepiece of the microscope system.

[0084] 2, the recognition unit 16 analyzes the video to recognize, identify, and / or track the sperm. Methods for recognizing sperm from the video include preparing multiple representative images showing typical shapes of sperm and performing pattern matching using the representative images for each frame in the video, and using a learning model trained using observed images of sperm as training data.

[0085] The recognition unit 16 may assign individual ID information to sperm captured in the video. The recognition unit 16 may assign ID information to sperm in each frame, and may assign the same ID information to identical sperm. The recognition unit 16 may determine that sperm included in two frames are identical and assign the same ID information if it can be determined that the sperm are certainly identical. For example, if a sperm captured in a first frame is always present in the field of view of the video between the first and second frames, the recognition unit 16 may track the sperm and determine that it is the same sperm in the second frame. In determining whether two sperm are identical, at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 12 for each sperm may be taken into consideration. For example, if one or more indexes calculated by the index calculation unit 12 match or approximately match, the two sperm may be determined to be identical. The indices being approximately the same means that the absolute value of the difference between the indices of the two sperm is 1% or less, 2% or less, 3% or less, 4% or less, 5% or less, or 10% or less, based on the index of one of the sperm.

[0086] The recognition unit 16 may be realized by a program stored in the RAM 10 b or ROM 10 c described below and executed by the CPU 10 a. The recognition results by the recognition unit 16 may be stored in the RAM 10 b or ROM 10 c described below and may be transmitted to each unit and device via the communication unit 10 d.

[0087] Next, the physical configuration of the sperm selection assisting device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the physical configuration of the sperm selection assisting device 10. The sperm selection assisting device 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10a corresponding to a processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10b and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10c corresponding to a storage unit, a communication unit 10d, an input unit 10e, and a display unit 10f. These components are connected to each other via a bus so that data can be transmitted and received. In this example, the function of the sperm selection assisting device 10 is described as being configured by a single computer, but the function of the sperm selection assisting device 10 may also be realized by combining multiple computers. Furthermore, the configuration shown in FIG. 7 is an example, and the sperm selection assisting device 10 may have other components or may not have some of these components.

[0088] The CPU 10a controls the execution of programs stored in the RAM 10b or the ROM 10c and calculates and processes data. The CPU 10a is a calculation unit that executes programs that cause the computer to function as an acquisition unit 11, an index calculation unit 12, a storage unit 13, an evaluation unit 14, a display control unit 15, and a recognition unit 16. The CPU 10a receives various data from the input unit 10e and the communication unit 10d, and displays the calculation results of the data on the display unit 10f or stores them in the RAM 10b or the ROM 10c.

[0089] The RAM 10b is a rewritable storage device and may be implemented, for example, by a semiconductor memory device. The RAM 10b may store programs executed by the CPU 10a. Note that these are merely examples, and the RAM 10b may store other data.

[0090] The ROM 10c is a memory from which data can be read, and may be configured with, for example, a semiconductor memory element. The ROM 10c may store, for example, data that is not rewritten.

[0091] The communication unit 10d is an interface that connects the sperm selection assisting device 10 to other units and devices, for example, the imaging device 20. The communication unit 10d may be connected to a network by wire or wirelessly.

[0092] The input unit 10e receives data input from a user and may include, for example, a keyboard and a touch panel.

[0093] The display unit 10f visually displays the results of calculations performed by the CPU 10a and may be configured with, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 10f may display the captured moving images acquired by the imaging device 20 and the moving images displayed by the display control unit 15.

[0094] The sperm selection assistance program according to this embodiment may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as RAM 10b or ROM 10c, or may be provided via a communication network connected by a communication unit 10d. In the sperm selection assistance device 10, the CPU 10a executes the program according to this embodiment, thereby realizing the functions described using FIG. 2. Note that these physical configurations are merely examples and do not necessarily have to be independent configurations. For example, the sperm selection assistance device 10 may be provided with an LSI (Large-Scale Integration) in which the CPU 10a and the RAM 10b and / or ROM 10c are integrated.

[0095] [Sperm selection method] A method for selecting sperm using the sperm selection assistance system according to this embodiment will be described below. The sperm selection method according to this embodiment uses the sperm selection assistance system according to this embodiment, so it is possible to select good sperm suitable for ICSI from sperm in a sample. In particular, it is possible to select sperm with objectively high quality.

[0096] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the steps of the sperm selection method according to this embodiment. Although not shown in FIG. 8, the person performing the ICSI (typically an embryologist) places the sample S in the sperm selection assistance system according to this embodiment and sets it so that the sample S is located within the imaging field of the imaging device 20.

[0097] The following describes a method in which the sperm selection assistance system 1 automatically selects sperm without the intervention of the ICSI practitioner, but all or part of the following steps can also be performed manually by the ICSI practitioner. Furthermore, when acquiring moving images from the imaging device 20 in real time, the process for assisting sperm selection may also be performed in real time. Therefore, the following steps may be performed in parallel at predetermined time intervals for the moving images. In one embodiment, the step of storing sperm indicators can be omitted.

[0098] 8, in the sperm selection method according to this embodiment, first, an observation video of sperm is acquired from the imaging device 20 via the acquisition unit 11 (hereinafter also referred to as "step S1"). In step S1, a video image captured in advance may be acquired, or a video image acquired by the imaging device 20 may be acquired in real time.

[0099] Next, each sperm is recognized (hereinafter also referred to as "Step S2"). In Step S2, the recognition unit 16 analyzes the acquired video and recognizes sperm captured at a predetermined time interval in the video. At this time, the recognition unit 16 may assign ID information to each sperm. In addition, for sperm recognized by the recognition unit 16, the recognition time and the assigned ID information may be stored in the memory unit 13.

[0100] Next, the index calculation unit 12 calculates at least one index for the sperm recognized in step S2 (hereinafter also referred to as "step S3").

[0101] Next, the index calculated in step S3 is linked to each sperm and stored in the memory unit 13 (hereinafter also referred to as "step S4").

[0102] Next, the quality of at least one sperm for which an index was calculated in step S3 is evaluated (hereinafter also referred to as "step S5"). In step S5, sperm with relatively high quality or sperm for which at least one index exceeds a threshold may be selected from the multiple sperm recognized during the first time interval based on the index calculated in step S3. If the selected sperm is designated as a first sperm, the quality of the first sperm is evaluated relative to that of a second sperm recognized during a second time interval different from the first time interval. In the relative evaluation of quality with the second sperm, the relative evaluation of quality of the first sperm may be performed using one or more sperm for which an index was stored in step S4.

[0103] In step S5, the quality of one of the sperm images captured in real time by the imaging device 20 may be evaluated. Alternatively, in step S5, multiple sperm may be confirmed at a predetermined time after the start of observation of the sample S, and a histogram of at least one index calculated in step S3 may be created, followed by evaluation of the sperm quality.

[0104] Next, the display control unit 15 displays information on at least one index of the first sperm, which has been evaluated in step S5 for quality relative to the second sperm, in association with the first sperm, and generates a moving image displaying the evaluation of the quality relative to the evaluated second sperm (hereinafter also referred to as "step S6"). In step S6, information on at least one index of one of the sperms imaged by the imaging device 20 in real time may be displayed in association with the first sperm, and a moving image displaying the evaluation of the quality relative to the evaluated second sperm may be generated in real time.

[0105] Next, the moving image generated in step S6 is displayed (hereinafter also referred to as "step S7"). In step S7, the moving image may be displayed on the display unit 10f of the sperm selection assistance device 10, or may be projected onto the eyepiece of a microscope system connected to the sperm selection assistance device 10.

[0106] [Modifications] Although an example of this embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above. For example, unless otherwise specified, examples and / or preferred aspects (preferred, more preferred, even more preferred, even more preferred, etc.) in the description of each component and step can be arbitrarily combined to form this embodiment. For example, for each embodiment, an embodiment described as a preferred aspect may be combined with an embodiment described as a preferred aspect, or an embodiment described as a preferred aspect may be combined with a configuration described as a more preferred embodiment (or even more preferred embodiment, etc.). Furthermore, each component and step can be omitted as appropriate as long as it does not impair the effects of this embodiment.

[0107] For example, the sperm sorting assistance system 1 shown in FIG. 1 may include a tool for immobilizing sperm in the sample S and / or a sperm injection tool for aspirating sperm and then injecting them into the cytoplasm of an egg.

[0108] The sperm injection tool may be, for example, an injection pipette commonly used in ICSI. The sperm injection tool may also include a means for immobilizing the sperm selected by the sperm selection assisting device 10. Examples of the means for immobilizing the sperm include a means for applying weak vibrations such as a piezoelectric element, and a laser light irradiation means. The sperm injection tool may also include a pressure control mechanism for aspirating and injecting the sperm.

[0109] In addition, in the flowchart of the sperm selection method according to this embodiment shown in Figure 8, before step S1 or in parallel with step S1, the sperm in the sample may be imaged by the imaging device 20. At this time, the sperm selection assisting device 10 may adjust the settings of the imaging device 20 and / or the microscope system attached to the imaging device 20 in order to image the sperm with high resolution. Such adjustments may be made by the person performing ICSI.

[0110] [Notes] The present disclosure includes the following embodiments. [1] A sperm sorting assist device comprising: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; an evaluation unit that relatively evaluates the quality of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the moving image and a second sperm recognized during a second time interval in the moving image different from the first time interval based on the at least one index; and a display control unit that displays information related to the at least one index of the first sperm in association with the first sperm during the first time interval in the moving image, and displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit. [2] The sperm sorting assist device described in [1], wherein the evaluation unit further evaluates the relative quality of multiple sperm including the first sperm recognized during the first time interval based on the calculated index. [3] The sperm selection assist device of [2], wherein the first sperm is a sperm evaluated to have relatively superior quality among the plurality of sperm. [4] The sperm selection assist device of any one of [1] to [3], further comprising a memory unit that stores the at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit, and the evaluation unit performs a relative evaluation of the first sperm and the second sperm by referring to the at least one index of the second sperm calculated by the index calculation unit and stored in the memory unit. [5] The sperm selection assist device of [4], wherein the evaluation unit performs a relative evaluation of the first sperm and a plurality of sperm whose at least one index is stored in the memory unit based on the at least one index. [6] The sperm sorting assistance device described in any one of [1] to [5], wherein the evaluation unit further relatively evaluates the quality of the first sperm and a third sperm recognized during a third time interval in the moving image that is different from the first time interval and the second time interval based on the at least one index.[7] The sperm selection assist device described in any one of [1] to [6], wherein the display control unit is capable of switching between displaying a moving image in which information related to the at least one index is associated with the first sperm and displaying the moving image in which information related to the at least one index is not displayed. [8] The sperm selection assist device described in any one of [1] to [7], wherein the at least one index is calculated from at least one of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation, or from two or more of these. [9] A sperm selection assist system comprising an imaging device that captures moving images of sperm observed, and the sperm selection assist device described in any one of [1] to [8].

[10] A sperm sorting assistance program that causes a computer to function as: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; an evaluation unit that relatively evaluates the quality of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the moving image and a second sperm recognized during a second time interval in the moving image that is different from the first time interval based on the at least one index; and a display control unit that displays information related to the at least one index of the first sperm in association with the first sperm during the first time interval in the moving image, and displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit. [1A] A sperm sorting assistance device comprising: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold to be used for evaluating the quality of the sperm; an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the sperm based on a comparison between the at least one index calculated for sperm recognized in a specific time interval of the moving image and the threshold set by the threshold setting unit, and evaluates the relative quality of multiple sperm recognized in the specific time interval based on the calculated at least one index, instead of an evaluation based on a comparison between the at least one index and the threshold; and a display control unit that displays the evaluation by the evaluation unit for the sperm in the specific time interval in the moving image.[2A] The sperm selection assist device described in [1A], wherein the threshold setting unit sets the threshold based on the diagnosis of male infertility of the subject who provided the sperm. [3A] The sperm selection assist device described in [1A] or [2A], wherein the threshold setting unit sets the threshold based on a value measured by a CASA (Computer-Aided sperm analyzer) or an SQA (Sperm Quality Analyzer). [4A] The sperm selection assist device described in any one of [1A] to [3A], wherein the threshold setting unit sets the threshold based on the distribution of the at least one index possessed by a plurality of sperm. [5A] The sperm selection assist device described in any one of [1A] to [4A], wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the quality of the sperm as excellent when the calculated at least one index exceeds the threshold. [6A] The sperm selection assist device of any one of [1A] to [5A], wherein the evaluation unit evaluates a predetermined top percentage or number of sperm with respect to the at least one index as having excellent quality, using a population of multiple sperm recognized during the specific time interval. [7A] The sperm selection assist device of any one of [1A] to [6A], wherein the display control unit displays the evaluation by the evaluation unit for the sperm, and also associates and displays information regarding the at least one index of the sperm. [8A] The sperm selection assist device of any one of [1A] to [7A], wherein the at least one index is calculated from at least one of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation, or from two or more of these. [9A] The sperm selection assist device of [8A], wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the quality of the sperm by comparing all of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation with the threshold set by the threshold setting unit. [10A] A sperm selection assistance system comprising: an imaging device that captures moving images of sperm; and the sperm selection assistance device according to any one of [1A] to [9A].[11A] A sperm sorting assistance program that causes a computer to function as: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold to be used for evaluating the quality of the sperm; an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the sperm based on a comparison between the at least one index calculated for sperm recognized in a specific time interval of the moving image and the threshold set by the threshold setting unit, and evaluates the relative quality of multiple sperm recognized in the specific time interval based on the calculated at least one index, instead of an evaluation based on a comparison between the at least one index and the threshold; and a display control unit that displays the evaluation by the evaluation unit for the sperm in the specific time interval in the moving image.

[0111] 1...Sperm selection assistance system, 10...Sperm selection assistance device, 11...Acquisition unit, 12...Index calculation unit, 13...Memory unit, 14...Evaluation unit, 15...Display control unit, 16...Recognition unit, 20...Imaging device, 41, 42, 43...Frame, 50...Display image, S...Sample.

Claims

1. A sperm sorting assistance device comprising: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; an evaluation unit that relatively evaluates the quality of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the moving image and a second sperm recognized during a second time interval in the moving image that is different from the first time interval based on the at least one index; and a display control unit that displays information related to the at least one index of the first sperm in association with the first sperm during the first time interval in the moving image, and displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit.

2. The sperm sorting assistance device of claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit further evaluates the relative quality of multiple sperm including the first sperm recognized during the first time interval based on the calculated index.

3. The sperm sorting assist device according to claim 2, wherein the first sperm is a sperm that is evaluated as having relatively superior quality among the plurality of sperm.

4. A sperm selection assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a memory unit that stores the at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit, and the evaluation unit performs a relative evaluation of the first sperm and the second sperm by referring to the at least one index of the second sperm calculated by the index calculation unit and stored in the memory unit.

5. The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the evaluation unit performs a relative evaluation of the first sperm and a plurality of sperm for which the at least one index is stored in the memory unit based on the at least one index.

6. A sperm sorting assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the evaluation unit further relatively evaluates the quality of the first sperm and a third sperm recognized during a third time interval in the video image that is different from the first time interval and the second time interval based on the at least one index.

7. A sperm selection assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the display control unit is capable of switching between displaying a moving image in which information regarding the at least one indicator is associated with the first sperm, and a moving image in which information regarding the at least one indicator is not displayed.

8. A sperm sorting assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one index is calculated from at least one of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation, or from two or more of these.

9. A sperm selection assistance system comprising an imaging device that captures moving images of sperm, and a sperm selection assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. A sperm selection assistance program that causes a computer to function as: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a video; an evaluation unit that relatively evaluates the quality of a first sperm recognized during a first time interval in the video and a second sperm recognized during a second time interval in the video that is different from the first time interval based on the at least one index; and a display control unit that displays information related to the at least one index of the first sperm in association with the first sperm during the first time interval in the video, and displays an evaluation of the relative quality of the first sperm and the second sperm evaluated by the evaluation unit.

11. A sperm sorting assistance device comprising: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a moving image; a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold to be used for evaluating the quality of the sperm; an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the sperm based on a comparison between the at least one index calculated for sperm recognized in a specific time interval of the moving image and the threshold set by the threshold setting unit, and evaluates the relative quality of multiple sperm recognized in the specific time interval based on the calculated at least one index, instead of an evaluation based on a comparison between the at least one index and the threshold; and a display control unit that displays the evaluation made by the evaluation unit for the sperm in the specific time interval in the moving image.

12. The sperm selection assisting device according to claim 11, wherein the threshold setting unit sets the threshold based on the diagnosis of male infertility of the sperm donor.

13. The sperm selection assisting device according to claim 11, wherein the threshold setting unit sets the threshold based on a value measured by a CASA (Computer-Aided sperm analyzer) or an SQA (Sperm Quality Analyzer).

14. The sperm selection assisting device according to claim 11, wherein the threshold setting unit sets the threshold based on the distribution of the at least one index possessed by a plurality of sperm.

15. The sperm selection assist device according to claim 11, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the quality of the sperm as excellent when the calculated at least one index exceeds the threshold value.

16. The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 11, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates a predetermined top percentage or number of sperm in relation to at least one indicator as being of superior quality, using a population of multiple sperm recognized during the specific time interval.

17. A sperm selection assist device as described in any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the display control unit displays the evaluation made by the evaluation unit for the sperm, and also associates and displays information regarding the at least one indicator of the sperm.

18. A sperm sorting assisting device according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the at least one index is calculated from at least one of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation, or from two or more of these.

19. The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 18, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the quality of the sperm by comparing all of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation with the thresholds set by the threshold setting unit.

20. A sperm selection assistance system comprising an imaging device that captures moving images of sperm, and a sperm selection assistance device according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

21. A sperm selection assistance program that causes a computer to function as: an index calculation unit that calculates at least one index related to the quality of sperm recognized in a video image; a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold to be used for evaluating the quality of the sperm; an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the sperm based on a comparison of the at least one index calculated for sperm recognized in a specific time interval of the video image with the threshold set by the threshold setting unit, and evaluates the relative quality of multiple sperm recognized in the specific time interval based on the calculated at least one index, instead of an evaluation based on a comparison of the at least one index with the threshold; and a display control unit that displays the evaluation made by the evaluation unit for the sperm in the specific time interval in the video image.

Images