Geometrical guidance and trapping transition of human sperm cells

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2014 Mar;89(3):032720. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.89.032720. Epub 2014 Mar 28.

Abstract

The guidance of human sperm cells under confinement in quasi-2D microchambers is investigated using a purely physical method to control their distribution. Transport property measurements and simulations are performed with diluted sperm populations, for which effects of geometrical guidance and concentration are studied in detail. In particular, a trapping transition at convex angular wall features is identified and analyzed. We also show that highly efficient microratchets can be fabricated by using curved asymmetric obstacles to take advantage of the spermatozoa specific swimming strategy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Aggregation / physiology*
  • Cell Separation / methods*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Computer Simulation
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Biological*
  • Sperm Motility / physiology*
  • Spermatozoa / cytology*
  • Spermatozoa / physiology*