Researchers Develop App That Accurately Determines Sperm Quality

New submitter omaha393 writes: A team of researchers at Harvard Medical School have developed a point-of-care microfluidic detector capable of determining sperm quality using the simple device and a standard smartphone. Typical male fertility screens require a team of trained laboratory professionals and a screening process taking days to weeks and incurring high costs. The alternative home sperm measuring kits rely on chemical probes and only give measurements of quantity, not quality.The new method offers an easier, cheaper approach, with processing time taking about 5 seconds with no sample processing or wash steps required. The team found their device meets WHO guidelines with 98% accuracy of sperm quality measurements and is comparable to clinical results. The new device uses 35 microliters of sample to accurately measure both concentration and motility at a manufacturing cost of less than $5 per device. The device must still undergo FDA evaluations before being available to consumers, and the technology has yet to be named. The results of the study were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Further reading: NPR, Ars Technica, Scientific American

App?

[blueshift_1]

Let's just fix this title. Researchers Develop [Smartphone Peripheral] That Accurately Determines Sperm Quality. There we go. Clearly, the companion app for this product is just some basic analysis and display. The real exciting part is an inexpensive peripheral that can do the job at a much lower barrier of entry.

Re:

[JoeMerchant]

A $5 peripheral is pretty damn good - you'd be spending that in postage fees shuttling the sample from point of collection to point of analysis in the traditional system.

Re:

[omnichad]

they're still $5 a pop

Seen them for $1 at a dollar store.

Re:

[jenningsthecat]

...everything gains +9001% media attention...

That's a pretty specific figure - are you sure you didn't mean +ISO 9001%?

Re: App?

[ArmoredDragon]

I think he's referring to what the scouter says about the media's power level.

Re:

[mwvdlee]

Don't you know? The real summary of a Slashdot article is in the second post (or the first post during school hours).

Dating sites

[fluffernutter]

I expect this to be added to a designer dating site immediately! Date the man of your dreams and know his sperm is good.

Re:

[DickBreath]

Integrate peripheral support directly into an app such as Grindr. Sperm quality would then be one more selection criteria along with photo, cut/uncut status, size, etc.

But then, why is sperm quality a major selection criteria?

Re:

[Nutria]

But then, why is sperm quality a major selection criteria?

Fitness for breeding, of course.

Re:

[cdrudge]

Or fitness for not breeding, depending on the desires of the participants.

Re:

[Nutria]

1) The measure of "fitness for breeding" encompasses those who aren't fit for breeding.

2) "fitness for not breeding" is -- at best -- horrible grammar, and at worst makes no sense.

Re:

[Hognoxious]

When they say quality they aren't talking about the taste?

Re:

[DickBreath]

Taste is affected by whether the person smokes or not. That is purely subjective based on experience. It is not based on any objective type of measurements.

Re:

[Hognoxious]

Taste is affected by whether the person smokes or not.

Which person?

No, cancel that. Too much information.

Re:

[ctilsie242]

I've made jokes about a fleshlight app... scary to think that may wind up a reality.

Re:

[GameboyRMH]

I'm not searching for it at work but there is a Chinese company that makes, basically, a medical-grade jack-off machine for sperm sample collection. Basically a fleshlight on a reciprocating mechanism.

Can we just have medical tricorders already?

[H3lldr0p]

Please? This drip and dribble of single techs to extend the smartphone is maddening. Just unify the blessed things and give everyone a medical tricorder already!

Re:Can we just have medical tricorders already?

[Applehu Akbar]

Please? This drip and dribble of single techs to extend the smartphone is maddening. Just unify the blessed things and give everyone a medical tricorder already!

If we did have a fully integrated tricorder, it would legally be a medical device, and complex enough that it wouldn't earn FDA approval by any stardate that today's investors could envision. Drips and dribbles of single technologies, each one below the FDA radar, is the way to go.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Drips and dribbles...is the way to go.

I see what you did there.

Re:

[Nutria]

If a reading happens to be wrong or inaccurate, little harm is done.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Re:

[Actually, I do RTFA]

. But there's no reason why purely diagnostic technology shouldn't be on the shelves as soon as it can be manufactured and shipped.

Can I introduce you to Theranos [wikipedia.org]. They are a major reason that in 2012, the regulations were changed and diagnostic devices were required to get FDA approval. That is, one giant scam caused a regulation to come down and need to be imposed over everyone. I don't know how you missed it as it got [slashdot.org] a [slashdot.org] lot [slashdot.org] of [slashdot.org] coverage [slashdot.org] on [slashdot.org] Slashdot. [slashdot.org]

Re:

[Nutria]

Someone -- specifically you -- doesn't realize how complicated the human body is.

Re:

[DickBreath]

This drip and dribble of single techs to extend the smartphone is maddening.

How about Two new peripheral devices for smart phones:
1. device to stimulate production of the sperm sample
2. device to check sperm quality / quantity

If they connect via USB then they could be made to work with laptops as well as smartphones.

The new device uses 35 microliters of sample...

[tinkerton]

Uh, what's that in units that people on here can understand?

Re:The new device uses 35 microliters of sample...

[Opportunist]

A bit less than a mouthful.

Re:

[goose-incarnated]

A bit less than a mouthful.

That's a bit premature

Re:

[tinkerton]

Yeah right, that'll mean something to the average /. nerd, when they're looking at their hand, estimating.
Anyway, it's the amount of a drop of water.

Re:

[DickBreath]

That is definitely a more intuitive measure than microliters.

Re:The new device uses 35 microliters of sample...

[mwvdlee]

GP said "people on here can understand".
So that would be roughly "half a handful".

Re:

[tinkerton]

I think, translated to /. units it would be one percent of a handful. I think we can agree that they find microliters confusing...

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

Or about fifteen jack-off sessions.

Why is everyone looking at me like that?

Re:

[tinkerton]

Because they're all thinking, calculating in their heads.

Re:

[arth1]

Going with the SI standard unit, that would be 3.5e-8 m^3

HTH, HAND

Re:

[omnichad]

An average drop of water is about 50 microliters.

Re:

[AwooOOoo]

A headphone jack's full...

Re:

[tinkerton]

Nice try but a bit too high.

Re:

[amalcolm]

A buttload?

Re:

[DickBreath]

The reason Apple removed the headphone jack was because Apple's, and only Apple's customer base were molesting the headphone jack. Other smart phone manufacturers don't have this problem with their customers.

Re:

[ChrisMaple]

About 4 nanoVolkswagens.

Re:

[tinkerton]

Hm, that doesn't look right. That would be like 0.5 mg or 10 times too much. Unless it's me who is mistaken now...

Re:

[DMFNR]

Huh? It says there device measures both quality and quality and means Who guidelines for quality measurements. Don't see what the problem is.

Pricing circus begins

[jbmartin6]

Given the USA's severely screwed up pricing system for medical equipment, we can expect the list price for the $5 device to be around $500.

Re:

[DickBreath]

Why do you think it would be as low as $500 ?

Or did you mean after insurance pays?

Re:

[omnichad]

The app will sell for $500. The device is probably disposable and will be $150/ea.

Not stated

[argStyopa]

"The new device uses 35 microliters of sample to accurately measure both concentration and motility at a manufacturing cost of less than $5 per device. "
The smartphone is required for the high-bandwidth link to youporn.com. An incognito browser is also recommended.

Big Improvement

[belthize]

5 seconds is pretty good. The old way took 1 to 9 months just to gauge the base effectiveness and final quality results could take decades of analysis.

Re:

[arth1]

5 seconds is pretty good.

Unless you're 14 years old, acquiring a sample is going to take longer.

Naming

[dinfinity]

the technology has yet to be named

In the light of recent app naming schemes, I propose:
- Jizzr
- MyLoad
- Cumcountify

Re:

[Ol Olsoc]

the technology has yet to be named

In the light of recent app naming schemes, I propose: - Jizzr - MyLoad - Cumcountify

Those names are pretty cumbersome.

I prefer Sploogeinator

Re:

[epyT-R]

CumQuantify. The icon would be a cumquat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

Opportunity knocks.

[BadTuna]

Time to invest in screen protector manufacturers

Peripheral Name Competition

[calken1979]

Can we now have the online competition to name it: a) Spermulator b) Seed Spotter c) Jizz Detector d) Spunk Sensor e) Mayo Measure f) Love Butter Examiner

In App Purchases

[Sunastar]

Changing whose face is displayed costs $0.99.

Re:

[epyT-R]

Nancy Pelosi..

Re:

[DNAgent]

Thanks for that. I'll never have a boner again.

I think I've got a good brand name for this...

[hyades1]

"Shoot 'n' Scoot" would work. The logo, of course, would have to be a white swallow.

Mean Joke??

[pablo_max]

Are you sure this isn't just some asshole trying to trick people into ejaculating on their phones?

Re:

[epyT-R]

More accurately, a pre-divorce test. How can she and the feminist trained judge have insane child support awarded when he can't reliably father children?

Class A troll!

[inject_hotmail.com]

> ...and the technology has yet to be named.
Damn, ace trolling. They knew we couldn't resist.

WhackFact
SemenDemon
The Jizz Whiz ...brought to you by the Sperm Firm.

(I feel like I'm 14 again)

Re:

[epyT-R]

huhuhuh... that was cool. huhuhuhuh.. Beavis, report to the ball washer. now.

Re:

[agm]

Wankavision.

Re:

[kencurry]

well done sir, #2 is a winner

Vasectomy results

[NealBScott]

Every now and then a vasectomy has been known to spontaneously reverse itself in a process called recanalization. I wonder if this device could detect that.

Re:

[epyT-R]

In theory it should. There should be no sperm in the sample after a vasectomy.

Btw, IANAD.

Re:

[iggymanz]

that can take months after the procedure to be true though. First testing is usually done after 16 weeks

Sperm Wheelchairs?

[Neuronwelder]

Is your penis cranking slow lately. Sperm lacking those revs it used to have? Well look no further! We that new energy drink to wake that sleeping monster in your pants! You'll have kids pouring out the windows of your house in no time!!*** *** (Not responsible for the bills you will incur after having so many kids)