Development and prospects of microfluidic platforms for sperm inspection

To date, male infertility has become a critical global health problem in contemporary society, which adversely impacts human natural reproduction and social development. Moreover, male infertility is generally associated with an inadequate concentration, low motility and a high abnormity rate of sperms. However, although current medical tests have achieved significant progress in quantifying sperm count and normal sperm density, point-of-care testing (POCT) devices are still urgently needed for more rapid, effective and accurate diagnoses, which can also overcome the drawbacks of expensive examination and concerns related to the disclosure of patient privacy for clinical testing. Recently, microfluidic chips for sperm inspection, which feature greater convenience, low cost, a tiny sample volume, high-throughput and scale-up production, have attracted increasing attention in the field of auxiliary medical devices for assessing sperm quality and quantity. Herein, we systematically review the most prevalently used analytical strategies towards sperm inspection in recent years. Future prospects for the development of sperm diagnostic devices were put forward to facilitate their commercialization for maximizing the benefits of both patients and providers.