After 18 years of trying, AI helps couple to conceive by finding hidden..., it cost them just Rs...

After 18 years of unsuccessful attempts to have a baby, a couple has finally achieved pregnancy, all thanks to a new AI-powered system that discovered hidden sperm previously thought to be absent. This breakthrough could bring fresh hope to many couples struggling with male infertility.

Where and Who?
The successful treatment took place at the Columbia University Fertility Centre in New York, USA. The AI system, called STAR (Sperm Tracking and Recovery), was developed by a team led by Dr. Zev Williams, director of the fertility centre.

When Was This Achieved?
The couple is now five months pregnant, and the baby is expected to be born in December. The news was recently reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

How Did It Work?
The STAR system uses imaging technology inspired by space science, originally developed to search for stars and planets. It takes over 8 million images of a semen sample within one hour. Then, using artificial intelligence, it carefully analyses each frame to detect tiny, hard-to-find sperm that normal methods often miss. In this case, STAR found three live sperm in a sample from a man diagnosed with azoospermia, a condition where no sperm are found in semen. The sperm were then gently retrieved by a robot and used for IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation). The woman’s eggs were fertilised, and the resulting embryos were successfully implanted.

Why Is This Important?
Earlier, men with azoospermia had few choices, mostly involving painful surgeries or using donor sperm. The STAR system is non-invasive and much cheaper than full IVF treatment, costing around USD 3,000.

What’s Next?
Though STAR is currently available only at Columbia, other patients are already undergoing the same treatment. Dr. Williams shared that male infertility affects 10–15% of American men trying to conceive, and the falling global sperm count is a rising concern due to factors like obesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise.

He added, “Many men who were told they’d never father a biological child now have a real chance.”