How the tech worked
The STAR system uses high-powered imaging and artificial intelligence to scan semen samples at high speed. In this case, it analysed over 2.5 million images in two hours to locate seven sperm cells, including two viable ones.
“A semen sample can appear totally normal, but when you look under the microscope you discover just a sea of cellular debris, with no sperm visible,” said Zev Williams, director of the Columbia University Fertility Center.
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He added, “Many couples with male-factor infertility are told they have little chance of having a biological child.”
A rare win in tough infertility cases
Men with azoospermia, a condition where semen has no visible sperm, usually have to undergo surgery to extract sperm from the testes. But these procedures often fail and carry risks like inflammation or falling testosterone.The STAR method aims to avoid surgery by spotting rare sperm directly in the ejaculate using AI and tiny microchannels that separate them from debris. A robot then plucks the sperm to be used in IVF.
How this case unfolded
A 3.5 ml semen sample from the man was processed through the STAR system.
“Manual slide-based examination revealed no sperm,” the authors wrote.
“In contrast, the STAR system analysed 2.5 million images in approximately 2 hours and detected seven sperm cells: two motile and five non-motile,” they said.
The two mobile sperm were injected into eggs, leading to embryo formation. Those embryos were transferred, and 13 days later, the woman got her first-ever positive pregnancy test.
An eight-week ultrasound confirmed a heartbeat of 172 beats per minute, the report added.
Researchers say this success is from one case, but larger trials are already underway to test STAR in more patients. If proven at scale, the method could change treatment for couples dealing with extreme male infertility — and possibly reduce the need for surgical sperm extraction.
(Source: PTI)
