Robust computer‐controlled system for intracytoplasmic sperm injection and subsequent cell electro‐activation

AbstractIntroductionIntracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and the subsequent cell electro‐activation process is a relatively new enhanced procedure to address male factor infertility. The current method involves the engagement of experienced embryologists for such a purpose. More advanced methodologies, which use high precision instrumentation tools, will speed up the whole procedure.MethodsIn this paper, the development of a computer‐controlled system for ICSI and the subsequent cell electro‐activation process is presented. The system is integrated to a microinjection workstation and piezo‐actuator to perform the ICSI procedure, with vision capability to automatically position the components precisely. A micro‐pump assembly is utilized for automatic medium refreshment and a heater plate assembly provides temperature control during the cell electro‐activation process. The overall system is comprehensive, comprising modular functional components integrated within a hardware architecture.ResultsExperimental results on mice oocytes verified the effectiveness of the developed system over the current method.ConclusionsFurther improvements on the instrumentation tools will improve the robustness and overall performance of the developed system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.