Abstract
To increase the success rate of Artificial Insemination (AI) in animals, it is important that the semen sample is of a high quality. The quality is related to both the number and motility of sperm present. Numerous methods of analysing semen samples exist, but these are generally expensive and/or laboratory based. A useful alternative would be an inexpensive simple system that could be used in the field immediately prior to insemination. We present a time of flight (ToF) technique using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). In this system the sperm are introduced at one end of a liquid filled swim channel and self propel to a QCM sensor at the other end. A chemical coating is applied to the QCM to bind the sperm and from the frequency change the number of attached sperm and their ToF can be measured. We report the effect of temperature and the introduction of small quantities of progesterone into the swim channel on the sperm ToF, Results show the QCM can be used to detect the arrival of the sperm and that increasing temperature and the presence of progesterone are both shown to decrease the ToF.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | BIODEVICES 2009 - proceedings of the International Conference on Biomedical Electronics & Devices |
| Place of Publication | Portugal |
| Publisher | INSTICC Press |
| Pages | 13-16 |
| Number of pages | 466 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-9898111647 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |