METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING CHROMOSOME CONTENTS IN SPERMATOZOA OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS, IN PARTICULAR FOR SORTING SUCH SPERMATOZOA

摘要

A method and an apparatus for detecting chromosome contents in spermatozoa of domestic animals, in particular for sexing such spermatozoa, are described. For such a determination, a source (1) of electromagnetic radiations having frequencies in the Terahertz range illuminates a flow of spermatozoa (5), and detection and analysis means (6, 8) directly measure the vibrational response of DNA in a spermatozoon when the latter is illuminated by the radiation. The measure is performed by evaluating the variations of predetermined characteristics of the radiation, such as power and polarisation, induced by the interaction with the spermatozoon.