Real-time single cell monitoring: Measurement and counting of motile sperm using LCR impedance- integrated microfluidic device

• Main Authors: Chalinee Phiphattanaphiphop, Komgrit Leksakul, Rungrueang Phatthanakun, Apirak Suthummapiwat
• Format: Journal
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Engineering
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85073251623&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/67817
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

© 2019 by the authors. In this research, we aimed to count the ratio of the number of motile to immotile sperm for patients with infertility problems based on a low-sperm-concentration examination. The microfluidic system consists of two series of applications: The conventional separation of motile sperm and the proposed inductance (L), capacitance (C), and resistance (R) or LCR impedance sperm counter. In the experiment, 96% of motile sperm were isolated from nonmotile sperm in the first part and transported to the second part to count and calculate real-time sperm concentration. A pair of microelectrodes composed of thin metal film were integrated between microchannels, resulting in a peak signal for LCR single-cell detection, as well as the estimated total sperm concentration. A minimum of 10 μL of the sperm sample was completely analyzed with an accuracy of 94.8% compared with the standard computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) method. This method could be applied for low-cost sperm separation and counting in the future.