Randomized Non-inferiority Within-Patient Trial of Density Gradient Processing of Sequential Ejaculates Versus Centrifugation-free Sperm Separation Device for ICSI in Men With Elevated Sperm DNA Fragmentation. (SE)

May 30, 2026 updated by: Dr Vipin Chandra, Indira IVF Hospital Pvt Ltd
Elevated SDF can adversely impact fertilization, embryo development, and pregnancy outcomes in IVF-ICSI cycles. Two pragmatic strategies aim to reduce SDF on the day of ICSI: (i) obtaining a second ejaculate shortly after the first to reduce oxidative damage and transit time; and (ii) selecting sperm via centrifugation-free sperm separation device, which enriches for motile sperm with intact DNA. There are limited direct comparisons between these strategies; this study addresses that gap.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
830

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • India
    • Bihar
      • Patna, Bihar, India, 800014
        • Recruitment
    • Karnataka
      • Bangalore, Karnataka, India, 560078
    • Maharashtra
      • Bhāndup, Maharashtra, India
        • Recruitment
      • Pune, Maharashtra, India
        • Recruitment
    • National Capital Territory of Delhi
      • Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, India
        • Recruitment
    • Rajasthan
    • Uttar Pradesh
      • Allahābād, Uttar Pradesh, India
        • Recruitment
      • Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
        • Recruitment

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • • Elevated SDF defined as DFI >20 %measured by the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test performed in a participating center's andrology laboratory, using a harmonized protocol under standardized conditions after 2-3 days of ejaculatory abstinence, and within 90 days (≤3 months) prior to enrollment.

    • Male partners 21-45 years;
    • Female partners 21-35 years.
    • Undergoing IVF/ICSI.
    • No known genetic or chromosomal abnormalities.
    • Minimum 4 MII oocyte patients shall be included

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Azoospermia or severe oligoasthenozoospermia (<1 million motile sperm/mL).
  • Significant systemic disease (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, malignancy).
  • History of a prior ICSI cycle with no embryo development.
  • Relevant female factors: untreated adnexal pathology ,a history of a thin endometrium (<7 mm) following endometrium preparation for embryo transfer

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: First Ejaculate
Processed using a centrifugation-free sperm sorting device
Procedure: Processed using density gradient centrifugation
Processed using density gradient centrifugation
Experimental: Second Ejaculate
The second ejaculate will be processed with two-layer density gradient centrifugation followed by standard washing.
Procedure: Second Ejaculate (collected after 1-3 hours)
The second ejaculate will be processed with two-layer density gradient centrifugation followed by standard washing.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Ongoing Pregnancy Rate
Time Frame: 12 weeks of gestation
Ongoing pregnancy rate
12 weeks of gestation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sperm motility and morphology after sperm sorting or second ejaculate collection.
Time Frame: At the day of ICSI
Sperm motility and morphology after sperm sorting or second ejaculate collection.
At the day of ICSI
Blastocyst rate
Time Frame: Day 5&6 after ICSI
Blastocyst rate
Day 5&6 after ICSI
Good Blastocyst rate
Time Frame: Day 5&6 after ICSI
Total number of good blast
Day 5&6 after ICSI
Biochemical Pregnancy Rate
Time Frame: 2 weeks after embryo transfer
Biochemical Pregnancy Rate
2 weeks after embryo transfer
Implantation Rate
Time Frame: 4-6 weeks after embryo transfer
An embryo implantation rate is the percentage of transferred embryos that successfully attach to the uterine lining and develop into a clinical pregnancy
4-6 weeks after embryo transfer
Clinical Pregnancy Rate
Time Frame: 4-6 weeks after embryo transfer
measures the percentage of fertility treatment cycles (like IVF) that result in a pregnancy confirmed by an ultrasound showing a gestational sac or fetal heartbeat
4-6 weeks after embryo transfer
First trimester Miscarriage Rate
Time Frame: Till 12 weeks after embryo transfer
Miscarriages are very common, occurring in about 10% to 20% of all known pregnancies.
Till 12 weeks after embryo transfer

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Indira IVF Hospital Pvt Ltd

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Vipin Chandra, DGO, Indira IVF Hospital Limited

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 5, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 25, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 25, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 30, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 30, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IIHL-UDR/P/007_2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data will be shared on request

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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