Sperm capacitation methods

Sperm capacitation is a physiological process that occurs naturally in the female reproductive system and thanks to which sperm acquire their ability to fertilize.

In assisted reproduction, it is necessary that this process can be done artificially in the laboratory. For this purpose, there are the following techniques:

Swim-up

is based on the ability of sperm to move into a culture medium after being deposited at the bottom of a tube. Those dead or inmotile spermatozoa will not be able to ascend and will remain at the bottom of the tube.

Density gradients

are based on the ability of the densest spermatozoa, with greater vitality and mobility, to pass through media of different density and settle at the bottom of a tube.