Humans are made to be fertile so that they can reproduce. However, many couples cannot have have children for various reasons, the main one being the inability of the sperm to reach the egg successfully. To aid fertility problems there are many pricy alternative fertility options but these have a very low success rate.
In order for a man and women to conceive, male sperm must swim down the female fallopian tubes and connect with the egg. However, some males have difficulties getting their little guys to make it all the way to the finish line. The sperm are usually fully fertile but have difficulties swimming. This is one of the leading problems of male infertility. To resolve this problem, a team of German researchers have invented the “spermbot“.
As published in Nano Letters, the spermbot is a tiny spiral metal helices that rotates and fits around the tail of the sperm. It is big enough to fit the tail but not too big that it goes over the head. The helix can be controlled using magnetic fields. The main purpose of this spermbot is to provide better motility to the sperm so they can reach the egg.
The spermbot overview. Credit: American Chemical Society
The spermbot works in 4 steps: First, the hybrid micrometer is coupled with the sperm as coupling is the most efficient way for the microhelix to attach to the sperm without killing it. Second, the spermbot starts propelling it to where it to its destination. Third, it makes contact within the ovaries, which is where female reproduction takes place. Once this is completed the final step includes the release of the sperm from the spermbot. This 4 step process was shown to be a success by the German researchers in a petri dish. The petri dish was designed to mimic actual conditions the sperm would face inside a female’s body. This simple yet unique and innovative design could be life-changing for many infertile males as well as their spouses.
The following video gives an overview of the description of the spermbot and how it works.
Credit: American Chemical Society
The spermbot is on the brink of being an absolute genius invention, however it needs to be fully tested and all precautions need to be taken before it is put to use in humans. The spermbot could provide various risks for both males and females. The spermbot can be compared to artificial insemination, which is the only fertility option that deals with motility problems. Artificial insemination has a 30% success rate. Whereas the spermbot has a much higher chance of producing a better success rate because of its innovative design and the ability to control it through magnetics. Furthermore, artificial insemination is very invasive for hormonal females, whereas the spermbot provides a non-invasive entry in males. The risks of the spermbot can be controlled once they are identified, and once the risks are eliminated, the spermbot will thrive in the world of fertility.
Vanessa Sidhu
