Simulation-Based Analysis of Sperm Morphology During Transport Through a Micropore Using Resistive Pulse Sensing

Sperm morphology is a key characteristic of the sperm in the fertilization process, and the separation of morphologically normal sperm is a crucial step process in assisted reproductive technology (ART). In this article, a microfluidic device is proposed to distinguish between normal and abnormal sperm. A micropore is designed in the middle of this device, bridging two chambers of the chip. Both chambers of the chip are connected to an electrical voltage, and chip is filled with an ionic electrolytic solution. The applied voltage resulted in an electric field being generated across the chip, leading to an ionic current to flow. As sperm passes through the micropore, a resistive pulse appears in the current curve. By analyzing the curves in real-time, abnormal sperms can be differentiated from normal ones. We used finite element analysis using COMSOL Multiphysics to analyze the effects of different pore geometry on the calculated resistive pulse signal. The current profiles of sperm with different morphological abnormalities were also simulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed device.