If a couple is having difficulty conceiving a child, it's important that the man get a motility test done – it shows how active his sperm are. The problem is, a lot of guys feel awkward about going to a clinic and "providing a sample" on-site. That's where Medical Electronic Systems' YO system comes in. It lets users check their motility at home (or wherever else they feel inclined to do so) using their iPhone or Galaxy smartphone.
First of all, there are indeed other male fertility tests already on the market.
According to Medical Electronic Systems, however, these typically just measure the concentration of sperm in a semen sample. If all those sperm are poor swimmers, they're not going to do much good. YO goes a step farther, by indicating what percentage of them are actually moving, and doing so in a correct manner.
The hardware end of the system consists mainly of the YO Clip, a miniature microscope which is placed over the phone's camera lens. A semen sample is subsequently put on an accompanying slide via an included pipette, then inserted into the Clip. A free iOS/Android app on the phone analyzes that sample, providing an on-screen rating of its Motile Sperm Concentration – it also shows actual video of the sperm, so users can see for themselves just how motivated they are.
YO is available now for preorder, with delivery scheduled to begin in January. It's priced at US$49.95, which includes the Clip and two slides.
Source: YO