Hormone imbalance is often labeled as a women’s health issue. While it’s true that hormonal changes in menopause trigger notorious symptoms, men are at risk for hormone imbalance too. Learn more about low testosterone and how it can be treated.
An article from March 22 2017 Science Translational Medicine authored by Manoj Kumar Kanakasabapathy1 et al reports on the development of a combination of smartphone software combined with additional, relatively inexpensive hardware, that can be used to perform a portion of a semen analysis (at home).
Standard semen analysis includes an assessment of sperm concentration, motility (percentage of sperm moving and quality with which they move) and morphology (shape of the sperm). The new device/software is able to perform an assessment of concentration and motility of the sperm with over a 95% accuracy in terms of whether the specimen does or does not fulfill WHO criteria for a normal specimen (based on only concentration and motility).
The illustration above is taken directly from the publication. http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/9/382/eaai7863/tab-figures-data
As shown in the attached illustration, the specimen is loaded into a chamber which uses capillary action to pull it in. The chamber with specimen is then placed into a plastic cradle which holds it in position. A smart phone is then placed in the same cradle positioning its camera over the specimen. The cradle also has an optical attachment to modify the ability of the smartphone to “see” the sperm as well as an LED light source, a battery and a microchip. The components were reported to cost less than $10.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Hormone imbalance is often labeled as a women’s health issue. While it’s true that hormonal changes in menopause trigger notorious symptoms, men are at risk for hormone imbalance too. Learn more about low testosterone and how it can be treated.
A varicocele is an enlarged vein in your scrotum, and it’s a leading cause of male infertility. Learn the signs and symptoms of varicoceles and what your treatment options are here.
Hundreds of thousands of American men get vasectomies each year. It’s a popular and effective form of permanent birth control for men, but is it safe? Learn the possible risks of vasectomy and find out how you can reduce your risks here.
Kidney stones are common — and painful. Once you have one kidney stone, your risk of developing more increases. The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk of kidney stone formation. Get our prevention tips here.
Regretting your vasectomy? A vasectomy reversal could be the solution you’re seeking. It’s an outpatient procedure that can be up to 90% effective. Find out more about it and what to expect during recovery.
The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system. From how it functions to the importance of regular prostate screenings, find out what you need to know about your prostate health here.