New phone app can measure sperm count and quality
Sperm sample can be tested in about five seconds, but app does not test sperm size and shape
Men may soon be able to measure their own sperm count and quality at home, using a smartphone app developed by scientists.
In early tests, designed to clip onto a smartphone, the gadget detected abnormal sperm samples with an accuracy of 98 per cent.
In more than 40 per cent of cases where couples struggle to conceive, the underlying fertility issue is linked to sperm abnormalities, but the researchers said that social stigma and lack of access to testing meant than many men never seek evaluation.
Hadi Shafiee, who led the work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said: “We wanted to come up with a solution to make male infertility testing as simple and affordable as home pregnancy tests.”
The team put the device together using spare parts from DVD and CD drives at a total cost of US$4.45. Using the device simply involves drawing semen into a disposable holder that is plugged into one side of the phone attachment, in a similar way to a USB. In seconds, results of the analysis are displayed on the phone’s screen.
In the study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine , the research team recruited 10 volunteers with no formal training, including administrative assistants employed at a Boston fertility clinic. They correctly classified more than 100 semen samples using the app.