The arrangements tested patterns of different distances, both vertically and horizontally, and various sizes of pillars, until finally they landed on the most successful array, which they call “periodic structures,” as the pillars stand in series, or periods. Over a period of about five years, Tüzel and Demirci tried out a variety of pillar alignments in their models. Swim-up averages 24 percent, while SPARTAN averages 52 percent, the study said. “We’re basically using microscale pillars as three-dimensional geometrical figures to capture poorly shaped cells while letting the morphologically normal through,” Demirci said.Ĭompared to other standard clinical sperm-sorting methods - such as the swim-up method, in which semen is placed in a solution, and sperm unable to swim up into it are discarded - SPARTAN yields about twice as many morphologically sound sperm. ![]() Those that were misshapen - a bent tail too big of a head - or had low motility would either tucker out, or deflect in the wrong direction and never make it to the finish line. The main difference was the physical interior of the device, which comprises thousands of tiny, vertical pillars, painstakingly aligned and optimally spaced to best trap unshapely sperm. The researchers took many of their initial design cues from the female reproductive tract - the original filtering system - modeling some aspects of the tool, such as pH level, after the scrupulous screening system biology had already built. Simulate before you sortīefore SPARTAN’s final form came to be, Demirci and Tüzel collaborated closely on computer models of the device. “Maybe SPARTAN can help change the paradigm in the field,” he said. But sperm carry critical heritable genetic elements, just like the egg does, and Demirci said sperm selection does play a big role in the quality of the embryo, so it warrants more careful selection. ![]() Currently, many infertility treatments, like IVF, place emphasis on finding a healthy egg the quality of the sperm cell is often secondary. “SPARTAN picks out the healthiest sperm, but it also allows us to ask deeper questions in the clinic in terms of how much sperm selection really matters for infertility treatments,” Demirci said. The lead authors are Stanford postdoctoral scholar Thiruppathiraja Chinnasamy, PhD, and graduate student James Kingsley at WPI. The study’s senior authors are Utkan Demirci, PhD, professor of radiology at Stanford, and Erkan Tüzel, PhD, associate professor of physics, of biomedical engineering and of computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. ![]() SPARTAN is not the only device of its kind, but its creators assert that it yields high-quality sperm more efficiently and effectively than others and hence could improve infertility treatments.Ī paper detailing the work was published online Dec. It filters semen through rows and rows of pillars fitted for healthy sperm. The sperm-sorting tool is called the Simple Periodic Array for Trapping and Isolation, or SPARTAN. carp wrist -later side Postpartum means after birth Hemostasis means stop bleeding Hemiplegial means paralysis of half of body Polyphagia means eating a lot Patient is suffering from aphasia.A device the size of your business card can separate the strong, healthy sperm cells from the duds, and it does so in about 10 minutes, according to a new study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
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