An artificial intelligence-based tracking system has helped a US couple in their late 30s to fulfil their wish of becoming parents. While manual processes failed, the AI-based system identified a viable sample after scanning through 25 lakh images for two hours.
According to a recent report in The Lancet journal, a 39-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman in the US had undergone multiple in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles as part of their efforts to become parents. The procedures involved manual search for sperm, along with two surgical procedures to extract sperm.
While a manual search for sperm in the semen sample returned negative results, the AI-based system identified seven sperm cells. "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," senior author Zev Williams, director of the Columbia University Fertility Center," said.
Williams said men with azoospermia may undergo a surgical procedure to have sperm extracted from the testes. However, this procedure could cause vascular problems, inflammation, or a temporary decrease in testosterone levels.
The team developed AI-based STAR - 'Sperm Tracking and Recovery' system to identify sperm cells in the sample. "A 3.5-millilitre ejaculated semen sample was gently washed, suspended in 800-microlitre semen analysis buffer, and processed using the STAR system. Manual slide-based examination revealed no sperm," they said. "In contrast, the STAR system analysed 2.5 million images in approximately two hours and detected seven sperm cells: two motile and five non-motile," they added.
The AI tool helped researchers identify sperm cells in the sample, which is later extracted with the help of a robot. It can be used to create an embryo or frozen and stored for future use, the team said.
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According to the report, the embryos were transferred on day three, and 13 days later, the woman had her first-ever positive pregnancy test, which progressed to a confirmed clinical pregnancy. The researchers said, "At eight weeks' gestation, the patient transitioned to obstetric care, with ultrasound showing normal foetal development and a heartbeat of 172 beats per minute, they said. Larger clinical trials are underway to evaluate the efficacy of STAR in broader patient populations."