Dynamic laser light scattering compared with video micrography for analysis of sperm velocity and sperm head rotation.

A new method which allows separation of the rotational and translational components of human sperm motility, based on the angular dependence of the dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) has been developed. The technique was used in a clinical study and was compared with an independent evaluation by video micrography. A good correlation was found between the two techniques when applied on different semen samples (r = 0.90; P less than 0.01 and r = 0.96; P less than 0.01 for rotation and translation, respectively) and when applied on the same semen sample at different temperatures. The rapid evaluation of these parameters using DLS technique opens the possibility to study large number of semen samples under physiological and pathological conditions at a lower cost.