# Sperm sample preparation for point of care applications

> **NIH NIH R44** · NANONC, INC. · 2020 · $499,741

## Abstract

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) methods have improved vastly over the last
three decades. The development of technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF),
intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)
have enabled pregnancy for couples previously incapable of having their own children.
However, despite these advancements in reproductive technologies, there have not
been significant developments in instrumentation for standardizing semen sample
preparation procedures for intrauterine insemination (IUI). Current clinical semen sample
preparation procedures are manual, tedious, slow, prone to human error, and likely
harmful to sperm due to excessive centrifugation steps.
The labor- and equipment-intensive nature of sperm preparation for IUI precludes many
non-specialty OB/GYN clinics from offering this service to patients, and generally limits
patient access to larger cities with Andrology laboratories.
Significant problems that Nanonc will address with the current proposal are: 1) limited
access to fertility care (specifically IUI) due to high costs and the need for trained
Andrology personnel and specialized facilities, 2) suboptimal sperm preparation results
due to extended protocol times and sperm loss during processing, and 3) risks of
laboratory errors inherent in multi-step sperm preparation protocols.
Nanonc proposes a system (utilizing microfluidics) for sperm sample preparation that will
take in raw ejaculate and output a purified sperm population in an IUI syringe in less
than 15 minutes. The IUI syringe will be detachable from the rest of the system. During
the 15 minutes, the clinician will not need to perform any actions; as the system will run
all of the sample processing steps in an automated fashion. Furthermore, the system will
have a footprint of a small desktop printer that is portable to be conveniently placed on a
bench in clinical setting. A portable system that performs automated isolation of sperm
from ejaculate will revolutionize sperm processing and increase access to sperm sample
preparation. Additionally the system will decrease cost, time and skill required to process
sperm, and potentially improve outcomes for patients with low sperm counts. By
increasing the yield and precision of sperm isolation and concentration techniques, our
approach has the potential to offer this exact benefit by specifically providing the
opportunity for some patients to try less invasive and less expensive procedures.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9989143
- **Project number:** 5R44HD095355-03
- **Recipient organization:** NANONC, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Kenneth Ivan Aston
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $499,741
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-20 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9989143

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9989143, Sperm sample preparation for point of care applications (5R44HD095355-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9989143. Licensed CC0.

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