New home kit allows men to test fertility on smartphone

For men who feel embarrassed to test their fertility in the supervision of watchful doctors and nurses, a US-based technology company has developed a novel smartphone-powered device that can allow them to measure their sperm count from the comfort of their home.

The Yo Sperm test works through an app and a microscope attachment that covers the phone's camera and flash, enabling men to keep a check their reproductive health without having to go to the clinic.

"Trips to the fertility doctor are rarely pleasant. The YO Home Sperm Test lets you see how your swimmers are doing from the comfort of your own home," according to Los Angeles based Medical Electronic Systems (MES), which developed the kit.

The testing process involves the app taking a video of the sperm under the microscope, and then completing a series of simple analyses from the clip. The app provides users with in-depth information about their result, which the company claims to be 97 per cent accurate, 'Dezeen.com' reported.

The user has to collect his sample, mix it with a liquefying powder for better consistency, which then has to be left for ten minutes. After that, the user extracts a small amount of the sample using a pipette and drops it onto a slide. The slide fits into the microscope attachment sitting over a smartphone's lens and allows video of the sperms' motion to be recorded and analysed.