Taiwanese Startup Seeks FDA Approval Of Device That Analyses Sperm Using iPad

Aidmics, a Taiwanese startup, will seek approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration in 2016 for a device that could analyse sperm using the iPad. The firm has sold the gadget to about 200 farmers around the world to analyse the sperm counts of their boars.

Analysis of sperm counts helps the farmers maximise the success of their breeding programmes. The FDA approval would be for use of the device on men, reports CNET.

Called iSperm, the device – which works only on the iPad Mini - is like other microscopes that attach to a tablet. The tip of its tube is dipped into a sperm sample and then it is capped. The sample is illuminated by a light source and the microscope enlarges it. The rate of magnification is 65x-300x, depending on the zoom in and zoom out, according to Aidmics.

The iPad camera captures the results which is then analysed for sperm count and motility via a customised app, which is free, that has a logarithm. HD movies of the sperm could also be recorded and sent to a fertility specialist for analysis. It takes seven seconds to capture the video and 10 for analysis.

Aidmics estimates iSperm for men would cost between $100 and $200. It is expected to be a useful device for couples who have difficulty having a baby, Agean Lin, founder of Aidmics, told Reuters. With the device, sperm analysis at home could quickly rule out or confirm that sperm quality is the reason behind difficulty of the woman in conceiving.

The device, approved by the Agricultural Technology Research Institute – the leading agricultural authority in Taiwan – has a database storage for sperm quality tracking.

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