High-frequency electric field trapping of individual human spermatozoa

We present a new touch-free technique for trapping, positioning and selecting human spermatozoa. This can be done in free solution (culture medium) by high-frequency electric fields. Ultramicroelectrodes fabricated by photo- and electron-beam lithography on quartz and glass substrates were used to create field cages or long field channels. If the conductivity of the external salt solution is higher than the average value of sperm cell conductivity, negative polarization and negative dielectrophoresis occur. As a result, the induced cell polarization leads to forces repelling spermatozoa from the electrodes towards the field minimum. Using four planar electrodes a field funnel can be formed in which an individual spermatozoon is retarded while swimming. The same can be done more effectively in three-dimensional cages created by an octopole electrode system. In these systems, rapidly swimming spermatozoa could be trapped for several seconds but some spermatozoa stop moving if exposed to field strengths of more than 500 V/cm at frequencies in the MHz range. However, in stripwise and interdigitated electrodes, rapidly swimming sperm cells could be very well positioned in front of a break-electrode by a combination of electric field trapping and field induced laminar fluid streaming. This technique can be applied to bring individual spermatozoa to a defined position for characterization followed by sampling with capillaries.