STTR Phase I: Single-Chip Microfluidic Platform for Finely Controlled In Vitro Fertilization Processes

STTR 第一阶段：用于精细控制体外受精过程的单芯片微流控平台

• 批准号: 2304368
• 负责人: Younas Dadmohammadi
• 金额: $ 27.5万
• 依托单位: ZEALOUS RESEARCH LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-15 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2304368&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Single; Chip; Microfluidic

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is that by improving the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF), this project will benefit assisted reproduction technology (ART) providers, infertile couples, and insurance companies. With infertility increasing globally, there is a huge potential market for ART services. However, current IVF technologies provide inadequate results and come with high costs that significantly impact both the minority of infertile couples who can afford IVF and the majority for whom the technology is priced out of reach. The successful development of a disposable, low-cost platform automating all steps of IVF is expected to produce a manifold increase in the productivity of ART clinics by reducing the processing time demands on andrologists and embryologists as well as reducing the labor requirements for sperm separation. This will, in turn, have the effect of increasing the efficiency, capacity and profitability of ART clinics, while lowering overall costs of IVF. Lower prices will reduce the burden on couples using ART and on their insurance companies, while increasing access to ART for lower-income populations. The technology is also expected to result in higher fertilization rates, enhancing successful IVF conception outcomes.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop an IVF-on-a-chip platform in response to the need for a cost-effective and highly controlled IVF process. Variance in operator skill levels and damage to gametes due to handling contribute to significant variability in IVF performance, with success rates averaging only around 37%. The new technology aims to remove this inconsistency by using a microfluidic platform to perform the entire IVF process in a single-chip workflow, automating and optimizing sperm selection, sperm capacitation, and egg fertilization. The proposed platform includes a region for sperm selection, a reservoir for sperm capacitation, and a segment for egg fertilization. This project will develop a single user-friendly commercial device and optimize conditions for each step of the IVF process with bovine gametes, through rigorous analysis and optimization of the timing, flow, incubation, and media conditions. The device will be tested in mice and bovine models as a precursor to human treatment and its performance compared to traditional IVF. If successful, the fully developed platform system will fulfill the need for a simple-to-use, affordable, robust, and high-throughput sperm sample preparation for medical treatments and clinical applications, resulting in higher fertilization rates and enhanced patient outcomes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，通过提高体外受精的成功率（IVF），该项目将使辅助生殖技术（ART）提供者，不育夫妇和保险公司受益。随着全球不育的增加，艺术服务有巨大的潜在市场。但是，当前的IVF技术提供了不足的结果，并带来了高昂的成本，这显着影响了少数不育的夫妇，他们负担得起IVF和大多数技术的价格都无法触及。通过减少对雄激素医生和胚胎学家的加工时间需求，以及减少精子分离的劳动力要求，可以成功地开发一次性，低成本平台，使IVF的所有步骤自动化所有步骤，从而产生艺术诊所生产力的多方面提高。反过来，这将产生提高艺术诊所的效率，能力和盈利能力，同时降低IVF的整体成本。较低的价格将减轻使用艺术品和保险公司对夫妇的负担，同时增加低收入人群的艺术品。预计该技术还会导致较高的受精率，增强成功的IVF构想结果。这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目将开发一个芯片芯片平台，以应对需要具有成本效益且高度控制的IVF流程的需求。操作员技能水平的差异和对​​配子的损害造成的损害导致IVF性能的显着差异，成功率仅平均约37％。这项新技术旨在通过使用微流体平台在单芯片工作流程中执行整个IVF过程，自动化和优化精子选择，精子电容和鸡蛋受精。拟议的平台包括一个用于精子选择的区域，用于精子电容的储层以及用于卵受精的细分市场。该项目将通过严格的分析和优化定时，流动，孵化和媒体条件来开发单个用户友好的商业设备，并使用牛配子的每个步骤优化IVF过程的每个步骤。与传统IVF相比，该设备将在小鼠和牛模型中进行测试，作为人类治疗的先驱及其性能。如果成功的话，完全开发的平台系统将满足对医疗治疗和临床应用的简单，可负担，健壮和高通量的精子样品制备的准备，从而导致更高的施肥率和增强的患者结果。这项奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的智力效果和广泛的影响来评估支持NSF的法定任务，并具有评估。