Andrology Products and Resources

Optimize your success by selecting the highest quality sperm

Give sperm cells a head start with our products and optimal processes.
Increasing your focus on andrology could help couples realize their dream of becoming parents.

Watch our most recent webinars on choosing the highest quality sperm

Improving outcomes by targeting the male factor

Author: David Morroll, PhD, Director of Clinical Support, CooperSurgical

HABSelect Study
Journal Club

Author: David Miller, Reader in Molecular Andrology, University of Leeds

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Edition 6 of our ART Scientific newsletter has a focus on Optimizing Therapeutic Sperm Washing, authored by Mathew Tomlinson PhD

Supporting Sperm Function and Why You Should Care

It is perhaps understandable that the general focus for reproductive scientists working in ART might be on optimizing conditions for the oocyte and embryo.

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ORIGIO Gradient Series

Innovative formulation drawing on the
latest scientific knowledge of sperm function

The Importance of Male Factor in Fertility

40-50%
of all infertility cases is due to male factor

Since the advent of assisted reproduction the scientific focus on infertility has mainly concentrated on female issues. This point of view, however, is now shifting as more and more evidence accumulates on the importance of the male factor.

Evaluating the fertility of men can be very challenging, as this can only be proven based on the outcomes of their female partners. It is nevertheless estimated that male factor is involved in 40-50% of all infertility cases.

We believe that by increasing the focus on andrology, we can help couples realize their ultimate dream – parenthood.

Practical Aspects of Sperm Preparation/Selection

David Morroll PhD, our Director of Clinical Support, discusses andrology in this engaging talk. He covers ways of identifying good quality sperm for selection and how to avoid DNA damage by considering the many aspects of good sperm preparation.

We offer state-of-the-art andrology products because visual assessment alone should never be the only factor involved when selecting a sperm for ICSI.

Optimising Sperm Selection for ART using
HBA Assay and PICSI

Dr Lucy Richardson, Laboratory Director at Herts and Essex Fertility Centre joined the CooperSurgical Symposium at ESHRE 2019 to talk about how to optimize sperm selection methods using HBA Assay and PICSI.

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HBA® Assay

A diagnostic device designed with duplicate Hyaluronan coated chambers

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PICSI® Dish

ICSI dish with Hyaluronan micro dots for sperm selection

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SpermSlow

A semi-viscous medium containing Hyaluronan for sperm selection

Minimizing DNA fragmentation in the andrology process

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Sperm DNA damage may result in lower fertilization rates, impaired implantation and an increase in pregnancy loss rates.

Sperm DNA fragmentation can occur due to extrinsic factors, such as storage temperatures, media used, handling conditions, time after ejaculation, and several others. Minimizing any risk of DNA fragmentation is critical throughout each step of your sperm processing and assessment.

We provide high-quality sperm products and through our expert knowledge we can offer advice on how you can optimize every step in the andrology process. This helps to minimize DNA fragmentation build-up and ultimately provides the best quality sperm sample for fertilization.

We have a team of experts ready to assist with any question you might have.

Hyaluronan – a natural biomarker for sperm quality

The ability of sperm to bind to Hyaluronan correlates to:

  • Lower rates of chromosomal aneuploidy1

  • Lower rates of DNA fragmentation1,2

  • Decreased miscarriage rates3

Picking the right sperm is essential for enhancing your chances of achieving a successful ICSI outcome. Unfit sperm may lead to a compromised embryo and increase the risk of pregnancy loss.

Hyaluronan (HA), a high molecular weight glycosaminoglycan, is a major component of the cumulus oophorus matrix surrounding the human oocyte. Within the female reproductive tract, hyaluronan is believed to play a critical role in the selection of functionally competent sperm during fertilization. In fact only mature spermatozoa that have completed the plasma membrane remodelling, cytoplasmic extrusion and nuclear maturation have developed specific receptors for Hyaluronan. Only these mature sperm with receptors can bind to the cumulus complex, digest HA and reach the oocyte and fertilize it.

The in vitro binding of sperm to hyaluronan is a selective process and research has demonstrated that not all motile sperm bind to hyaluronan. HA-bound spermatozoa show lower rates chromosomal aneuploidies and DNA fragmentation, and good nuclear morphology. Since the selection of sperm for ICSI is critical and directly influences the paternal contribution to the preimplantation embryogenesis it is important to select sperm based on more that morphology. HA-sperm selection prior to ICSI insures the selection of a competent sperm and helps to optimize the outcome of the treatment.

References:
1. Yagci et al. (2010) Spermatozoa bound to solid state hyaluronic acid show chromatin structure with high DNA chain integrity: An acridine orange fluorescence study. J Androl; 31:566-572
2. Parmegiani. L. et al. (2010) Physiologic ICSI”: hyaluronic acid (HA) favors selection of spermatozoa without DNA fragmentation and with normal nucleus, resulting in improvement of embryo quality. Ferti Steril 93:598-604.
3. Worrilow et al. AND Miller et al 2019 Physiological, hyaluronan-selected intracytoplasmic sperm injection for infertility treatment (HABSelect): a parallel, two-group, randomised trial. Lancet. 2019; 393: 416-422