주화성에 의한 활동성 정자 분리용 마이크로 바이오칩에 관한 연구

Abstract

This paper presents a new microchip which can separate motile sperm by chemotaxis. The microchip was developed to create longitudinal concentration gradient in the microchannel due to diffusion. Linearly good concentration gradient of chemoattractant was generated without any fluid control devices. In sperm separation experiment with the developed microchip, mouse sperm was used as sample and acetylcholine was selected as chemoattractant. Human tubal fluid (HTF), buffer solution, was introduced into the microchannel of the microchip and attractants diluted in ratio of 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64 including control (DI water) were dropped in each outlet by 2 μl volume with micropippet. After 5min, 1 μl sperm solution was dropped into inlet of the chip. After 10 min, when sperms reached to the outlet by chemotaxis, we counted sperms in each outlet by using microscopy. Consequently, we could separate progressive motile sperm with the new microchip. In the experiment, the most sperms were isolated at the outlet dropped with 1/ 16 diluted solution. The optimal concentration gradient to induce chemotaxis was about 0.625 mg/ml/mm.