Human Reproduction, Vol. 6, No. 7, pp. 1011-1016, 1991
© 1991 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
review-article |
REVIEW
Micromanipulation of gametes using laser microbeams
Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic Departments of Surgery Irvine, CA 92715, USA 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California Irvine, CA 92715, USA
Correspondence: 1To whom correspondence should be addressed
Various microsurgical procedures at the cellular and subcellular levels using laser non-touch techniques are presented and reviewed. In these procedures, the beams of light, varying in their wavelength (range: 14 ns to continuous wave), were directed via microscopes towards the target area. Micromanlpulation of human spermatozoa with a lasergenerated optical trap enabled the assessment of possible effects on sperm motility and measurements of the relative force generated by each single spermatozoon. Furthermore, the optical trap also provides a new approach to the measurements of intracellular forces without physically touching the cell or its organelles, and inducing chromosome movement during cell division is also possible. Laser beams in a specific configuration are able to induce minimal superficial damage to the zona pellucida of oocytes from various species. This manipulation is aimed at increasing the fertilization rate following insemination with low-quality spermatozoa. Another intracellular application of the laser beams is the destniction of extra pronuclei in polyspermic fertilized human oocytes. These procedures require special equipment which is not commonly available. However, simpler devices may be developed if the advantages of this novel technology are demonstrated.
Key words: laser microbeam/micromanipulation/optical trap/polyspermic fertilization/zona drilling
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