New technology to help men test sperm health at home

An inexpensive lens could turn a smartphone into a microscope and help men analyse semen samples in the privacy of their home, say scientists.

Yoshitomo Kobori, a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago, discovered a USD 7 lens, that could help address the problem of infertility in men.

He is using the lens to create an iPhone microscope to analyse sperm samples at home, with help from an app that is in development.

"The lens is not made for a smart phone - it was made nine years ago. I'm improving the lens and thinking about how to attach it to a smart phone and analyse sperm," said Kobori.

Kobori believes men would be more likely to analyse their sperm if they could do it in the privacy of their home.

Researchers are also working to create better containers to collect and store semen samples. They use an antioxidant to help preserve the sperm when it is frozen.