There is hope for severely infertile men with the introduction of a newly created tool to find sperm.
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New algorithm developed to train AI tool to find sperm
According to findings from a recent study, men who want biological children but are incapable due to lack of sperm in their semen may benefit from a newly created tool that will allow scientists to find sperm rapidly as opposed to the current long hours.
The results were presented at the 39th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) on Tuesday 27 June. Researchers took time to highlight how a new algorithm can train an Artificial Intelligence tool to find sperm quickly, increasing the chances of couples having their own biological children.
Currently, men with infertility issues are required to undergo a procedure where embryologists manually extract sperm from a portion of their testes. The retrieved sample is then fertilised with their partner’s egg through a treatment known as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). The entire process of finding and isolating sperm is time-consuming, taking up to six hours, and can lead to mental and physical fatigue which may result in inaccuracies while identifying sperms.
Image courtesy Professor Majid Warkiani
The new study, led by Professor Magid Warkiani from the School of Biomedical Engineering, reveals that the current laborious process could soon be eliminated with the help of the newly developed SpermSearch tool.
Although further testing through clinical trials is still required, the new tool is set to be a game changer in revolutionising the field of infertility treatment, if found to be successful.