Piezo-Assisted Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection: A Comparative Study of Two Penetration Techniques

This paper discusses the application of piezo-actuator in intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Specifically, it presents a comparative study of two techniques in the penetration of oocyte (egg cell) : linear-reciprocating and partially-rotating techniques. The other conditions during penetration, including media preparation, installation, and controller, are maintained the same during the operation. The experiment shows that piezo-assisted ICSI achieves better results compared to manual ICSI even when mercury is not used (as is usually the case). Furthermore, partially-rotating technique causes less vibration to the oocyte compared to linear-reciprocating technique.