Validation of a smartphone-based, computer-assisted sperm analysis system compared with laboratory-based manual...

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Andrology
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Male infertility affects a significant portion of couples seeking fertility treatment.
• Accurate semen analysis is crucial for diagnosing male infertility.
• Traditional semen analysis methods can be time-consuming and require specialized laboratory equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a portable smartphone-based computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system.
• To compare smartphone-based CASA results with manual microscopic semen analysis (SA) and laboratory-based CASA.
• To assess the utility of the system for self-evaluation by male partners.

Main Methods:

• 28 semen samples were analyzed between July 2017 and February 2018.
• Sperm concentration and motility were measured using a smartphone-based CASA system.
• Results were compared against laboratory-based CASA and manual microscopic SA using a Makler Counting Chamber.

Main Results:

• Smartphone-based CASA showed positive correlations with microscopic-based SA for both sperm concentration and motility.
• Sperm motility measured by smartphone-based CASA positively correlated with laboratory-based CASA results.
• The findings suggest the smartphone-based CASA system is suitable for clinical semen diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Portable smartphone-based CASA systems can motivate infertile males to seek clinical evaluation, leading to earlier diagnosis and treatment.
• The system offers cost-effectiveness and can be used for screening and follow-up by male partners.
• Future advancements may enable wider applications, such as sperm morphology assessment.