System and method for sperm sorting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022364975-A1
Application number	US-202217872872-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 25, 2022
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2022
Grant date	—

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

1 . A system for sorting sperm of a sample, comprising:
a housing comprising a lower component and an upper component coupled together; a fluidic system supported by the housing; a collection chamber formed by the lower component and the upper component when coupled together, and configured to pass motile sperm for harvesting and restrict non-motile sperm, the collection chamber including a first chamber and a second chamber positioned above the first chamber; a filter including a plurality of micropores and arranged in the collection chamber to cause sperm traveling along a flow path to move through the filter and against gravity to reach the second chamber, wherein the filter is located between the upper component and the lower component when coupled together; and an outlet extending into the upper component and connected to the second chamber, the outlet sized to facilitate harvesting some of the motile sperm, wherein the fluidic system is configured such that upon use, a percentage of motile sperm to non-motile sperm harvested through the outlet is greater than the percentage in the sample.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of micropores are sized to permit a head of the sperm to pass therethrough.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of micropores are at least 1 um and less than 10 um in diameter.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic system is configured such that upon use the motile sperm pass through the filter into the second chamber and traverse a path from the second chamber into the outlet in a flow-free manner.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the outlet does not comprise a filter.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a top portion of the second chamber of the collection chamber is open and provides access to the fluidic system, in addition to the outlet.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet is an open end of an additional collection chamber that is connected to the second chamber by a fluid connection channel.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet does not comprise a filter.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a slide supporting the housing, wherein the slide is located under the lower component and forms a lower surface of at least one channel.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter is a polycarbonate filter.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second chamber is connected to the outlet by a fluid connection channel.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein no other channels extend from the second chamber.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet is a channel with an open end that provides access to the fluidic system.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein no other chambers or channels extend from the second chamber other than the outlet.

15 . A method for sorting sperm, comprising:
delivering a sample of sperm into a fluidic system; allowing sperm in the sample of sperm to traverse a flow path through a collection chamber, wherein the collection chamber includes a first chamber and a second chamber positioned above the first chamber, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are separated by a filter positioned in the collection chamber, wherein the filter has a plurality of micropores sized to permit a head of the sperm to pass therethrough; allowing at least some motile sperm from the sample of sperm that have entered the collection chamber to selectively pass through the filter against gravity to traverse a path into the second chamber and then to traverse a path into an outlet; and harvesting through the outlet, at least some of the motile sperm that have passed through the filter, wherein the fluidic system is configured such that the motile sperm pass through the filter into the second chamber and move from the second chamber into the outlet in a flow-free manner and such that a percentage of motile sperm to non-motile sperm that are harvested at the outlet is greater than the percentage in the sample.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein fluidic system comprises a housing including a lower component and an upper component coupled together.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the filter is located between the upper component and the lower component.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a top of the second chamber is open and provides access to the fluidic system, in addition to the outlet.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein sperm are located in the first chamber but not the second chamber.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second chamber is connected to the outlet by a fluid connection channel.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein no other channels extend from the second chamber.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the outlet is a channel with an open end that provides access to the fluidic system.

23 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the outlet does not comprise a filter when the at least some of the motile sperm are harvested.

24 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the outlet is an open end of an additional collection chamber that is connected to the second chamber by a fluid connection channel.

25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the outlet is a channel with an open end that provides access to the fluidic system.

26 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a higher percentage of motile sperm are present at the outlet than in the sample when the at least some of the motile sperm are harvested.

27 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the collection chamber is connected to the outlet at the second chamber by a fluid connection channel.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein no other channels extend from the second chamber.

29 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the outlet does not comprise a filter when the at least some of the motile sperm are harvested.

30 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of micropores are at least 1 um and less than 10 um in diameter.

Assignees

• Brigham & Womens Hospital Inc

Inventors

• Demirci Utkan
• Asghar Waseem

Classifications

• C12M47/04

  Cell isolation or sorting (purging biological preparations of unwanted cells C12N5/0081, determining the presence or kind of microorganism C12Q1/04) · CPC title

• C12M21/06

  for in vitro fertilization · CPC title

• G01N2001/4088

  filtration · CPC title

• G01N2015/1006

  for cytology · CPC title

• C12N5/061

  Sperm cells, spermatogonia · CPC title