Lens-free imaging used to watch sperm swim
SEP 18, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026351
Nature : Three-dimensional imaging has revealed the spiraling swimming pattern of human sperm. By using a light-sensing chip to gather light shone at different angles from a red LED and a blue one, researchers were able to monitor the head movements of more than 1500 sperm cells over several hours. Although the method is quick and encompasses many cells at once, it cannot yet capture the complex movements of the sperms’ tails, which are much smaller than the heads. As the imaging technology improves, the researchers hope to be able to study not only sperm moving in a range of physiological conditions but also bacteria and other swimming microorganisms.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
