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TIL CreativesImage generated by AI for represenatation purpose In a medical first, an artificial intelligence system scanned 25 lakh images from a semen sample for over two hours and picked out just two healthy sperm cells, helping a US couple conceive after 19 years of trying, a report in The Lancet said. The couple, aged 39 and 37, had earlier undergone multiple IVF cycles and surgeries without success.How the tech workedThe STAR system uses high-powered imaging and artificial intelligence to scan semen samples at high speed. In this case, it analysed over 2.5 million images in two hours to locate seven sperm cells, including two viable ones.“A semen sample can appear totally normal, but when you look under the microscope you discover just a sea of cellular debris, with no sperm visible,” said Zev Williams, director of the Columbia University Fertility Center.Also Read: Man leaves stable 9-5 corporate job with ₹1 lakh salary, now earns double from Airbnb bookingsHe added, “Many couples with male-factor infertility are told they have little chance of having a biological child.”Live EventsA rare win in tough infertility casesMen with azoospermia, a condition where semen has no visible sperm, usually have to undergo surgery to extract sperm from the testes. But these procedures often fail and carry risks like inflammation or falling testosterone.The STAR method aims to avoid surgery by spotting rare sperm directly in the ejaculate using AI and tiny microchannels that separate them from debris. A robot then plucks the sperm to be used in IVF.How this case unfoldedA 3.5 ml semen sample from the man was processed through the STAR system.“Manual slide-based examination revealed no sperm,” the authors wrote.“In contrast, the STAR system analysed 2.5 million images in approximately 2 hours and detected seven sperm cells: two motile and five non-motile,” they said.The two mobile sperm were injected into eggs, leading to embryo formation. Those embryos were transferred, and 13 days later, the woman got her first-ever positive pregnancy test.Also Read: Bengaluru techie throws chilly powder, kills manager with dumbbell after argument over switching off office lightsAn eight-week ultrasound confirmed a heartbeat of 172 beats per minute, the report added.Researchers say this success is from one case, but larger trials are already underway to test STAR in more patients. If proven at scale, the method could change treatment for couples dealing with extreme male infertility — and possibly reduce the need for surgical sperm extraction.Also Read: ‘They didn’t just lift the trophy’: Anand Mahindra explains what India’s Women’s ‘Chak De’ World Cup 2025 win really means(Source: PTI)Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onAI infertilityAI technology in infertilitysperm retrieval using AIIVF success storiesIVF fertility (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onAI infertilityAI technology in infertilitysperm retrieval using AIIVF success storiesIVF fertility(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless
