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DEVICE TO SELECTION OF CAPACITATED SPERMATOZOA
WO21198547
The present invention describes a device and a method for sperm selection based on the chemical attraction that sperm possess in vitro to some biofluids, like follicular fluid (FF). The main novelty of the procedure is that capacitated and attracted sperm come into contact with the FF and acquire, through the exosomes, certain substances that increase their fertilizing capacity. On the other hand, the device also has the properties to allow fertilization to occur in the same place where the sperm areselected, which leads to a decrease in possible epigenetic alterations that are produced by the environment during the manipulation of gametes. This device, and the associated method, offer the possibility of examining an elite sperm population that can be used for uterine artificial insemination (AI), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), as well as in studies on sperm fertility. It can also be used in other species for IVF and for studies on sperm functionality as basic science.
This novel device for spermatozoa selection based in chemotaxis brings many benefits when compared with the current techniques: • Selection of the most capable spermatozoa for improving assisted reproduction techniques using FF that attracts the best spermatozoa for optimum and more physiological interaction with the oocyte. • Spermatozoa selection by FF chemoattractant improves embryo quality and embryo development. • Speed of the blastocyst's expansion is greater when the spermatozoa are selected by FF. • Simple, practical and high-performance device. • Device that can be used with all types of mammals.