System and method for sperm sorting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487164-B2
Application number	US-202418628507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2024
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A system and method for sorting sperm is provided. The system includes a housing and a microfluidic system supported by the housing. The system also includes an inlet providing access to the microfluidic system to deliver sperm to the microfluidic system and an outlet providing access to the microfluidic system to harvest sorted sperm from the microfluidic system. The microfluidic system provides a flow path for sperm from the inlet to the outlet and includes at least one channel extending from the inlet to the outlet to allow sperm delivered to the microfluidic system through the inlet to progress along the flow path toward the outlet. The microfluidic system also includes a filter including a first plurality of micropores arranged in the flow path between the inlet and the outlet to cause sperm traveling along the flow path to move against through the filter and gravity to reach the outlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of sorting sperm using a sperm-sorting assembly, the method comprising:
introducing a sample of sperm into a lower chamber at least partially defined by a lower component of the sperm-sorting assembly; allowing motile sperm of the sample of sperm in the lower chamber to travel through a filter horizontally disposed between the lower component and an upper component and against gravity into an upper chamber at least partially defined by the upper component, wherein the motile sperm of the sample of sperm are allowed to travel from the lower chamber to the upper chamber in a flow-free manner; and harvesting at least some of the motile sperm for an assisted reproductive process, using a harvesting tool, from a recess defined in the upper component; wherein an upper component wall defining the upper chamber of the upper component is configured to mate with a lower component wall defining the lower chamber of the lower component when the lower component is disposed below and coupled to the upper component.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing the sample of sperm into the lower chamber comprises depositing the sample of sperm into a cavity that is defined by the lower component and is in fluid communication with the lower chamber.

3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel from the upper chamber to the recess.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein harvesting the at least some of the motile sperm comprises disposing a tip of the harvesting tool into the recess without the tip of the harvesting tool contacting the filter, and
wherein the recess extends from a top outer surface of the upper component.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the recess is configured to prevent the tip of the harvesting tool from contacting the filter.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the recess is physically separated from the filter by a portion of the upper component.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel through a pathway connecting the recess and the upper chamber, wherein the pathway is defined in the upper component.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel through the pathway comprises allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel in a direction radially outwardly from an opening defined by the upper component, the opening being adjacent the filter.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein allowing motile sperm of the sample of sperm in the lower chamber to travel through the filter comprises allowing motile sperm of the sample of sperm to travel through the filter and through the opening, and into the upper chamber.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein harvesting the at least some of the motile sperm comprises using a syringe to collect the at least some of the motile sperm.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recess comprises a substantially horizontal channel defined by the upper component and an opening in a top outer surface of the upper component that is in fluid communication with the substantially horizontal channel, the opening being sized to allow an end of a syringe to be inserted into the substantially horizontal channel from an exterior of the upper component to facilitate harvesting motile sperm from the substantially horizontal channel.

12 . A method of sorting sperm using a sperm-sorting assembly, the method comprising:
depositing a sample of sperm through an opening of a lower component of the sperm-sorting assembly, the opening being in fluid communication with a lower chamber at least partially defined by the lower component; allowing motile sperm of the sample of sperm in the lower chamber to travel through a filter horizontally disposed between the lower component and an upper component and against gravity into an upper chamber at least partially defined by the upper component, wherein the motile sperm of the sample of sperm are allowed to travel from the lower chamber to the upper chamber in a flow-free manner; and harvesting at least some of the motile sperm, using a harvesting tool, from a recess defined in the upper component and extending from a top outer surface of the upper component, wherein harvesting the at least some of the motile sperm comprises disposing a tip of the harvesting tool into the recess without the tip of the harvesting tool contacting the filter; wherein an upper component wall defining the upper chamber of the upper component is configured to mate with a lower component wall defining the lower chamber of the lower component when the lower component is disposed below and coupled to the upper component.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein depositing the sample of sperm comprises depositing the sample of sperm into a cavity that is defined by the lower component and is in fluid communication with the lower chamber.

14 . The method of claim 12 , comprising allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel from the upper chamber to the recess.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the recess is configured to prevent the tip of the harvesting tool from contacting the filter.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the recess is physically separated from the filter by a portion of the upper component.

17 . The method of claim 12 , comprising allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel through a pathway connecting the recess and the upper chamber, wherein the pathway is defined in the upper component.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel through the pathway comprises allowing the at least some of the motile sperm to travel in a direction radially outwardly from an opening defined by the upper component, the opening of the upper component being adjacent the filter.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein allowing motile sperm of the sample of sperm in the lower chamber to travel through the filter comprises allowing motile sperm of the sample of sperm to travel through the filter, through the opening of the upper component, and into the upper chamber.

20 . A method of sorting sperm using a sperm-sorting assembly, the method comprising:
depositing a sample of sperm into a cavity defined by a lower component of the sperm-sorting assembly, wherein the cavity is in fluid communication with a lower chamber at least partially defined by the lower component; allowing motile sperm of the sample of sperm in the lower chamber to travel through a filter horizontally disposed between the lower component and an upper component and against gravity into an upper chamber at least partially defined by the upper component, wherein the motile sperm of the sample of sperm are allowed to travel from the lower chamber to the upper chamber in a flow-free manner; disposing a tip of a harvesting tool into a recess defined in the upper component without the tip of the harvesting tool contacting the filter; and harvesting at least some of the motile sperm, using the harvesting tool, from the recess of the upper component, wherein the recess is configured to prevent the tip of the harvesting tool from contacting the filter.

Assignees

• Brigham & Womens Hospital Inc

Inventors

• Demirci Utkan
• Asghar Waseem

Classifications

• G01N2015/1006

  for cytology · CPC title

• G01N2015/1028

  Sorting particles · CPC title

• G01N15/01

  specially adapted for biological cells, e.g. blood cells (investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions in blood G01N15/05) · CPC title

• G01N2001/4088

  filtration · CPC title

• C12N5/061

  Sperm cells, spermatogonia · CPC title