Most people who are in a serious relationship get to a point in their lives when they start thinking about having kids with their partners. However, it can be devastating to learn that your partner is infertile, and that it’s too late to do anything about it. But now scientists have come up with a way to test a man’s sperm and determine whether or not they’re fertile— all you have to do is download an app to your phone.

Device. Hadi Shafiee, a professor of engineering in medicine at Harvard has just created a device that will allow men to test their sperm concentration with almost 100 percent accuracy, reports Elite Daily. The device will connect to an iPhone, and will cost under $50.

Two parts. Live Science reports that it will only cost researchers $5 to make the two part device, which consists of attaching the device, no bigger than a box of crayons. The second part of the device is a chip that has a small tube where the semen goes. Then, the user has to download an app, which turns your phone’s camera into a microscope.

Analysis. Through the app, the user can look at the semen sample in detail. The app also counts the number of sperm, detects the semen concentration, and detects the speed and movement, reports Elite Daily. Thanks to this device, men would be able to learn if they have fertility problems earlier on, which could mean getting help before its too late.
Sperm samples. According to Live Science, the device was tested on 350 people and the researchers found that the device was able to detect the abnormal sperm samples with 98 percent accuracy. The World Health Organization reports that a sperm sample is considered abnormal if it has less than 15 million sperm cells.

Tests. Shafiee says she hopes this new device will be an inexpensive alternative to getting sperm tested in clinics and labs, where she says analysis is not only expensive, but can be inaccurate at times. “This device is going to make male infertility screening as simple as home pregnancy tests for a woman,” said Shafiee, as reported by Live Science.

Developed. There are over the counter sperm checkers available in most pharmacies, but Shafiee says those aren’t very accurate because unlike her device, they don’t measure how fast the sperm cells move, which is important for analysis. Shafiee’s device is still being developed, but she hopes it won’t be long before it’s being sold in stores.
Advances. “The work suggests that the integration of microfluidics, optical sensing accessories, and advances in consumer electronics, particularly smartphone capabilities, can make remote semen quality testing accessible to people in both developed and developing countries who have access to smartphones,” wrote the study authors in their report.

Others. This isn’t the first device that has been invented which allows men to test their sperm count at home. Earlier this year, a company announced the release of the YO Home Sperm Test, which works very similarly to Shafiee’s device.

Kits. The device also uses an app and it’s being sold for about $50. This device consists of two test kits, which include cups, testing slides, a powder, and the plastic tubes for the semen, reports the Sun UK.
Sample. The men collect the sample, which goes into the cup, then mix it with the powder, letting it sit for ten minutes. After the time has passed, the sample goes onto the testing tubes, which clip on to the phone. From there, you can view your sperm cells via a “video.”

Fertility. The company who makes this device, Medical Electronic Systems, says they hope this device will be able to get more men to test their sperm so that they can find out whether or not they have fertility problems early enough to to do something about it. In nearly 40 percent of infertile couples, the man is typically the reason the woman can’t conceive.

Awareness. ”The explosion of apps and wearables dedicated to optimising the chance of pregnancy is evidenced [by the fact] that people crave more awareness of their fertility status. However, the bulk of these new technology tools cater to women. No other company is tackling male reproductive health in this manner,” said Marcia Deutsch, CEO of Medical Electronic Systems, as reported by the Sun UK.
Purchase. Its’s unclear whether this device has been tested side to side with Shafiee’s, or who’s product is more effective. But while Shafiee’s is still in the works, the YO home super, test is already available for purchase.

Technology. For just a little under $50, you’ll be able to find out whether or not your little swimmers are working properly. “YO HOME SPERM Test technology brings an embarrassing and worrisome test to the privacy of your own phone,” reads the site’s description.

You. What do you think about this new app? Do you think it’s as accurate as they claim it is? Would you try it out yourself? Let us know what you think!
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