Method for improved sperm cell populations
AssigneeInguran, LLC
InventorsJuan Moreno, Kenneth Michael Evans, Ramakrishnan Vishwanath, Clara Gonzalez-Marin
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Abstract
The invention encompasses methods for reducing the proportion of sperm cells with abnormal morphology, and unviable sperm cells, in a sperm cell population using flow-cytometric processing. The methods generally entail staining the sperm cells in the population; irradiating the sperm cells in the population; detecting fluorescence emitted by the sperm cells in the population in response to the step of irradiating; differentiating the sperm cells in the population based on orientation or viability; and then collecting a subpopulation of oriented or viable sperm cells.
Claims6
A method of processing sperm cells by flow cytometry comprising
- a) selecting a population of sperm cells, wherein 25% or more of sperm cells in the population have abnormal morphology;
- b) staining the sperm cells in the population;
- c) placing the sperm cells in the population in sheath fluid;
- d) subjecting the sperm cells in the population to an orienting force;
- e) irradiating the sperm cells in the population;
- f) detecting side fluorescence emitted by the sperm cells in the population in response to the step of irradiating;
- e) differentiating the sperm cells in the population having abnormal morphology from the sperm cells in the population having normal morphology based on their orientation;
- and
- f) collecting a subpopulation of oriented sperm cells, wherein the percentage of sperm cells in the collected subpopulation having abnormal morphology is less than the percentage of sperm cells in the population having abnormal morphology in step a).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.