An Ultrasonically Actuated Silicon-Microprobe-Based Testicular Tubule Assay
An Ultrasonically Actuated Silicon-Microprobe-Based Testicular Tubule Assay
复制标题
超声波驱动的基于硅微探针的睾丸小管测定
DOI：
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发表时间：
2009
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
P. Schlegel
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Ramkumar;A. Lal;D. Paduch;P. Schlegel
显微解剖睾丸精子提取（TESE）是一种侵入性外科手术，通过在显微镜下目视检查不育睾丸的生精小管来识别稀疏的健康大直径小管，其中携带有活力的精子，并对感兴趣的区域进行活检。在本文中，我们报告了用于显微解剖探针 TESE (MP-TESE) 手术的与超声波喇叭致动器和应变计集成的微制造硅微探针。带有轴向力敏感多晶硅应变片的微探针具有高力灵敏度（-0.4 V/N）。探针用于检测生精小管之间的边界，从而能够识别单个小管的直径。在大鼠睾丸组织上进行插入实验，通过监测记录的力中的小管穿刺，我们能够估计样本中携带精子的小管的平均直径~41.2±1.6μm。我们还展示了利用微探针测量的尺寸分布的分析计算表达式来感知嵌入在一堆较细小管中的较大小管的存在的能力。该信息对于 MP-TESE 区分具有和不具有可育精子的小管非常重要，有可能消除目前光学精子定位所需的大切口。
Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is an invasive surgical procedure in which sparsely located healthy larger diameter tubules carrying viable spermatazoa are identified by visual examination of the seminiferous tubules of the infertile testis under a microscope, and biopsies of regions of interest are performed. In this paper, we report on microfabricated silicon microprobes integrated with an ultrasonic horn actuator and strain gauges for microdissection probe-TESE (MP-TESE) surgery. The microprobes, with axial-force-sensitive polysilicon strain gauges, have high force sensitivity (-0.4 V/N). The probes were used to detect the boundaries between seminiferous tubules, thus enabling identification of individual tubule diameters. Insertion experiments were performed on rat testis tissue, and by monitoring the tubule puncture in the recorded force, we were able to estimate the average diameter ~ 41.2 plusmn 1.6 mum of the sperm-carrying tubules in samples. We have also demonstrated the ability to sense the existence of larger tubules embedded in a mess of thinner tubules, using an analytically calculated expression for the distribution of sizes measured by the microprobe. This information is important in MP-TESE to distinguish tubules with and without fertile sperm, potentially eliminating the large incision currently required for optical spermatazoa localization.