APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE METABOLIC RATE OF MOTILE ORGANISMS

摘要

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for measuring the metabolic rate of motile organisms, such as sperm cells or some forms of plankton. One embodiment of the invention discloses an apparatus for measurement of the metabolic rate of motile organisms in a medium comprising at least one compartment capable of accommodating at least a part of the medium, one or more capillary tubes in fluid communication with said compartment, and at least one metabolite detector for measuring the concentration of metabolite inside the compartment. One embodiment of the invention relates to measurement of the oxygen consumption of sperm cells, thereby obtaining a semen quality parameter.