What does this research mean for the field?

Microfluidic chips significantly improve fertilization rates, blastocyst formation, and cumulative pregnancy rates in ART programs for patients with high levels of DNA fragmentation in the ejaculate. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the impact of microfluidic chips on sperm selection and outcomes in ART programs for patients with high DNA fragmentation.

March 3, 2026

Efficiency of sperm selection using microfluidic chips in assisted reproductive technology programs in patients with high levels of DNA fragmentation in the ejaculate

Key Points

To evaluate the impact of microfluidic chips on sperm selection and outcomes in ART programs for patients with high DNA fragmentation.
Conducted a prospective study involving 31 married couples with male factor infertility.
Administered two consecutive ICSI programs: one using standard density gradient centrifugation, the other utilizing microfluidic chips.
Compared embryological and clinical outcomes between both sperm selection methods.
Microfluidic chips significantly increased fertilization rates (88.42% vs. 81.45%; p <0.05).
Increased blastocyst formation rates (39.48% vs. 22.06%; p <0.00001).
Improved cumulative pregnancy rates (38.71% vs. 16.13%; p= 0.020) compared to traditional methods.

Abstract

Introduction. The emergence of a new method for diagnosing infertility, such as the assessment of sperm DNA fragmentation, requires new treatment approaches. Existing standard selection methods in ART programs are not able to effectively separate gametes with damaged genetic material. Against this background, the emergence of microfluidic chip technology, which makes it possible to most accurately model the barrier function of the female reproductive system and minimize the impact of damaging factors, seems promising as a possible method of sperm selection in patients with a high level of DNA fragmentation. The aim of the study to assess the effect of the use of microfluidic chips on the effectiveness of ART programs in patients with a high level of DNA fragmentation. Material and methods. The prospective study involved 31 married couples. The inclusion criteria were: the age of the man is less than 50 years, the age of the woman is under 35 years, the male factor of infertility associated with a high level of SDF (>30%), an unsuccessful ART program in anamnesis. All study participants underwent two consecutive ICSI programs. During the first program, sperm selection was carried out using the standard method of density gradient centrifugation. In the second ICSI, microfluidic chips were used to select male gametes. Subsequently, the results of the embryological and clinical stages were compared between the programs carried out. Outcomes. The use of microfluidic chips made it possible to significantly increase the fertilization rate (88.42% vs. 81.45%; p <0.05), the proportion of blastocysts obtained (39.48% vs. 22.06%, p <0.00001) and the cumulative pregnancy rate (38.71% vs. 16.13%; p= 0.020) compared to sperm selection by density gradient centrifugation. Conclusion. The use of microfluidic chips in ART programs has significantly improved both embryological and clinical results of treatment of patients with a high level of DNA fragmentation in the ejaculate. It is necessary to conduct additional studies in order to confirm the identified patterns and make a decision on expanding the use of microfluidic technologies in medical practice.

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Cite This Study

Gromenko et al. (Sun,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a67eebf353c071a6f0a85b https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17116/repro20263201157

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