With the aptly named Sperm Track and Recovery (STAR), this tool works in the same way as the AI systems used by astrophysicists to detect rare stars in the sky.
According to Star's lead researcher and developer Dr. Zev Williams, “It's like finding needles not just in haystacks, but in a thousand haystacks.” In an interview with Time Magazine, he explained how traditional lab techniques often overlook live sperm, and can do so within two hours.
The technology combines AI, high-speed imaging and robotics. Using a liquid tip, flow the semen sample through a small plastic tube. If the AI algorithm detects even a single viable sperm, that portion of the liquid will be separated in a separate tube and ready for use for fertilization or frozen for later use.
That's exactly what happened with this couple. Within two hours of collecting the husband's sample, the AI system not only helped identify sperm, but also fertilize the wife's eggs. Just a few days later, the fertilized embryo was transferred to the uterus. Four months later, both the mother and baby are doing well.
Star stands out for its ability to detect sperm when even trained embryologists are inadequate. Dr. Williams recalled an internal test in which embryologists spent two days analyzing samples and found that they had no sperm. The star found 44 viable sperm in just an hour. “They didn't want to lose to machines,” he joked, but the outcome couldn't be denied. This mild, chemical-free method shows a great leap when tackling the azos plant, which affects male infertility, especially about 1% of men and is responsible for 10% of male infertility. “My dream is to develop technology so that anyone who is told “cannot have children” can have healthy children,” he told Time.
With these scientific breakthroughs, it is no longer a hopeful idea, it is becoming a reality.
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