Microfluidic in-vitro fertilization technologies: Transforming the future of human reproduction

The field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has seen constant improvement and advancement targeted towards optimal development of the embryos in vitro to improve clinical outcomes. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures are highly repetitive, labor-intensive, and are costly to perform. Microfluidic technology can potentially transform the future of ART due to its ability to miniaturize, integrate, and automate. Microfluidics can be integrated into all stages of embryo production: spermatozoa sorting, oocytes denudation, fertilization, embryo culture, and vitrification. The development could be driven by progress in the 3D printing technology, organ-on-a-chip, alternative material, and integrated microfluidic operational units. Ultimately, a microfluidic system that integrates oocyte processing, sperm processing, and embryo culture will be desirable to miniaturize several laborious laboratory procedures into one compact device. This article will review the recent applications of microfluidic technologies to IVF procedure and discuss the challenges and potentials for microfluidics technologies to be applied for ART.