There is a new handy infertility test for men which can be done in the privacy of one's home and costs less than $5.
According to HealthDay, Harvard researchers have found a convenient way for men to check the quality of their sperm with 98 percent accuracy.
The test does not require any special training and results can be known in just five seconds or less.
Technica reported that the infertility test device and the microfluidic chip only cost $4.45 to manufacture.
The paper detailing the technology was published in journal Science Translational Medicine
How does male infertility test work?
A disposable rubberized microchip is slid into an attachment that can be plugged into a smartphone. A semen sample is generated and kept within the microchip.
A smartphone app will then scan and video the sample. A few seconds later, an analysis will show whether or not the semen meets the standards set by the World Health Organization for concentrations and sperm motility (movement).
According to the co-author of the study, Hadi Shafiee, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, a prototype of the technology has been developed. The next step for them is to go through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to seek approval. He noted though that the process may take about two years to complete.
Researchers hope that the new infertility test device will help couples trying to have a baby, as well as those who are trying not to. They also note that the device is particularly important to couples in developing countries or remote areas who do not have access to fertility clinics. Moreover, the device can also be used by men who have undergone vasectomies in counting their sperm to ensure the procedure worked.
Infertility is an issue faced at some point by over 30 million males worldwide.