Miniature field emission light sources associated with silicon-glass microcytometer for measurements of quality of oocytes

New micro-cytometric chip for qualitative, parametrical measurement of living oocytes/embryos of cows and pigs is proposed. The idea of measurement (Figure 1) is based on positioning of oocyte/embryo inside a micromachined glass-silicon or glass-PDMS chip with fluidic channel and set of micro-optical devices allowing spectrophotometric (absorption/transmission VIS/NIR spectra) and/or fluorimetric (fixed wavelength) measurements. Our preliminary work showed that cow embryos at different stage of maturity might be characterized by characteristic points of absorption spectra shifted toward longer wavelengths (Figure 2a). The another qualification factor might be a time-dependent decreasing of fluorescence intensity of dye labeled embryo. “Better” oocytes may tend to do not flourish whereas apoptic or necrotic oocytes marked by fluorescent dye are going to flourish at characteristic emission lines (Figure 2b).