Application of the upgraded image superimposition system (SIAS) to the assessment of sperm kinematics

Dedicated software for semiautomatic objective motility assessment, based o n image superimposition (SIAS), was upgraded in order to allow automatic re ading of sperm tracks whilst keeping the advantages of visual check instead of the digital images of classic computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) syst ems. The new system is very fast and accurate and allows an excellent readi ng of sperm motility in standard semen analysis. Moreover, using this syste m, an attempt was made to define numerically straight-line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL) and linearity (LIN) in each WHO sperm motility c lass. At 21 frames sec(-1), ROC curve analysis determined the following: Cl ass 1 (typical of WHO grade 'a'): VSL greater than or equal to 23 mu m sec( -1) and LIN greater than or equal to 0.58; class 2 (typical of WHO grade 'b '): VSL > 10 and < 23 mu m sec(-1) and LIN greater than or equal to 0.58; c lass 3: VSL > 10 mu m sec(-1) and LIN < 0.58 (this additional class was add ed to differentiate nonstraight progressive motility from classes 1 and 2); class 4 (typical of WHO grade 'c'): VSL less than or equal to 10 less than or equal to mu m sec-P The numerical definition of sperm motility classes may contribute towards standardization in the objective evaluation of sperm kinematics.