Microfluidic Devices for Gamete Processing and Analysis, Fertilization and Embryo Culture and Characterization

Medically assisted reproduction (MAR) includes all techniques used to achieve pregnancies not only in case of human infertility, but also for the in vitro production of embryos in the livestock industry, and for the conservation of endangered species. Focusing on humans only, the total number of babies born worldwide (thanks to MAR) has been estimated to more than 7 million, and MAR is more and more utilized because of an increase in human infertility. However, at the same time, even if MAR is now used as routine clinical treatments, the success rate remains low, with less than 30% clinical pregnancies. Furthermore, the MAR pregnancy rates are now stagnating, showing a need for new developments. Finally, current protocols are lacking standardization and automation, and they are still dependent on the skills of highly trained personnel. In that context, microfluidics can offer a new paradigm in the field of MAR, by providing integrated and automated platforms. Furthermore, using microfluidics can bring about new approaches to perform some steps of the entire protocol. In this chapter, we summarize and discuss microfluidic developments in the field of MAR, and specifically devices realized for gamete analysis, selection, and processing, including cryopreservation, fertilization, and embryo culture.