Interferometric phase microscopy promising for best sperm cell identification
New microscopic technology promises to be a game-changer in the field of reproductive assistance. A team of scientists has devised a new method of microscopy allowing scientists to perform clinical sperm analysis for in vitro fertilization without the use of staining, which can affect the viability of sperm samples.
The BioOptics World take on this story:
Researchers at Tel Aviv University (Israel) devised a microscopy method called interferometric phase microscopy that shows promise for performing label-free clinical sperm analysis, as staining can affect the viability of sperm samples. The development has big implications for assisted reproductive technology (ART), through which eggs are fertilized with sperm in a lab and then returned to a woman's uterus.
The research team's microscope add-on device is smaller, cost-effective at $1000, and easier to align than conventional interferometric imaging methods. It joins to new automated software that produces a thickness map of the sample and other physical parameters to evaluate the sperm's viability in real time. What's more, it can be used in any doctor's office already outfitted with a conventional microscope.
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