Acoustic waves used to select high-quality sperm in IVF
Appeared in BioNews 1076
A new approach which uses sound waves to filter sperm for IVF has been developed by Australian researchers.
The research team combined acoustic waves with fluid dynamics to sort high-quality sperm from semen samples, which they hope could eventually improve IVF success in patients. The method selects sperm cells on the basis of size, shape, and DNA integrity, rather than just motility.
'Sperm preparation or selection is a key step in assisted reproduction, being performed right before fertilising the egg,' said Dr Reza Nosrati, joint senior author at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. 'Our process aims to select better sperm within a faster time frame, so hopefully this can lead to improved outcomes in assisted reproduction.'