In general, almost 13 to 15 percent of couples at reproductive age worldwide are infertile. Infertility is not a problem associated with just women. About 30-40 % of infertility cases are related to male alone factors and about 40-50 % might be attributed to female alone factors. In some cases, it has been observed that about 25 % of couples have infertility associated with both male and female infertility factors.We can classify the causes of male infertility as sperm production, transportation and ejaculation problems. Sperm production disorders account for almost 60-80% of male infertility causes.
Success in IVF treatments depends on a quality egg and healthysperm cell. There are millions of sperm in the semen taken by masturbation during the 2-7 days of sexual abstinence, and the maximum number of sperm you will use during an IVF treatment is 10 or 15 at most. Among millions of sperm, you try to find the best 10-15 sperm under the microscope.
How Does a Microchip Select Healthy Sperm?
Under normal conditions, millions of sperms are ejaculated into the vagina after intercourse. Sperms first reach the uterus by passing through a path of approximately 2.5-4 cm indented channels called the cervix. Then, they pass through the hairy structures called cilia of 7-9 cm, and only the healthiest 5-15 sperms out of millions of sperms can reach the place where the egg is. Other sperms are destroyed in the vagina, cervical canal, uterus and other parts of the tube before they reach the egg. Thus, the healthiest sperms are selected naturally.
Microfluidic sperm chips, also known as sperm chips or microchips, are used for sorting healthy sperms just like the natural way. Once the untreated sperm sample is directed into the inlet, sperms race towards the outlet through the micro ductules that mimic the natural environment of the female reproductive system. Poor quality sperms, sperms with damaged DNA or malformations, and low motility are eliminated in this race. Only the healthy sperms with high motility swim up the ductules and reach the final point.Then, the healthy sperms with high motility are collected.
Using healthy sperms free from DNA malformations for insemination or in vitro fertilization significantly increase the chance of pregnancy.
Cases that sperm microchip is recommended
- Low sperm count or low sperm motility
- Low number of sperms with normal morphology in the sperm test
- High rate of genetic defects/DNA malformations in sperm DNA damage test
- Sperm failure in fertilizing the egg in previous in vitro fertilization attempts
- Recurrent IVF failure