SPERM CHIP (Micro Chip)

Sperm chip is a method to select and prepare the sperm in IUI (insemination), ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) treatments.Considering the natural sperm selection and sperm race are skipped in ICSI procedures, isolating the damaged sperm and selecting the best quality sperm become more important.The DNA damage in sperm cell decreases the implantation rate.

Causes of Sperm DNA Fragmentation are the followings;

1. Apoptosis or abnormalities may happen in the spermatogenesis’ process
2. In the process of spermyogenesis DNA breaks occur during the remodeling of the sperm chromatins.
3. Post testicular DNA fragmentations causes the oxygen radicals during the sperm passes through the seminiferous tubules and epididymis.
4. Endogenous caspase and endonucleases induce the DNA fragmentation.
5. DNA damage happens after Radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
6. DNA damage happens because of environmental toxic.

According to the conclusions of recent meta analysis, DNA damaged sperms may cause miscarriages following to IVF and ICSI treatments. It should be emphasized that; finding DNA damaged sperm have high probability in IVF/ICSI patients.

What is the technique of Microfluidic Sperm Sorting Chips (Sperm Chip)?

• Centrifuge is not necessary in Sperm Chip. In this way rising of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is prevented. Sperm Chip provides to select the undamaged sperm in terms of ROS and DNA fragmentation.

• Sperm chip is the closest way to the natural sperm selection which is based on the sperms pass through the cervical canals. In this way sperm chip provides to select the better DNA quality sperms and physiologically the best ones for ICSI.

Sperm chip cannot be used in cases of low sperm count and/or low motility. Also, it is not appropriate to use within the sperms obtained by TESA/TESE.