title: Autostage sperm tracing system for semen evaluation.
abstract: To overcome the limitation of the microscope field, the study proposed an autostage sperm tracing system (ASTS), which could trace a particular sperm for a long time and distance. The ASTS was constructed by assembling a commercial microscope, an image frame grabber, a personal computer, and a motorized stage. Its performance was tested by evaluating 6 semen samples and by comparing the evaluation with those of other semen evaluations. The ASTS broke through the limitation of the microscope field and traced a particular sperm as long as possible. It analyzed the sperm track and calculated the motility parameters, such as curvilinear velocity (Vcl), straight-line velocity (Vsl), and linearity (L(in)). The sperm quality was then evaluated in real time, and the user could decide to capture or abandon a particular sperm in the IVF The ASTS enables users to evaluate sperm progression for a long time and to have the global quality of a particular sperm in real time. Its open structure has the flexibility for micromanipulating a semen sample, and has the potential application associated with a modern IVF technique.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*