A group of German scientists from Institute for Integrative Nanosciences at IFW Dresden, Germany came up with what seemed to be a new innovative possible cure for infertility called the "Spermbot".
According to statistics, a whopping 10 to 15 percent of American couples suffer from infertility and they usually resort to the expensive methods such as artificial insemination or intrauterine insemination (IUI) and In vitro fertilisation (IVF) which can be a steep and doesn't really guarantee a successful result.
The group of scientists discovered that one reason that causes infertility aside from a diminutive sperm count is that the sperm cannot swim fast enough. That's when they came into the realization that they needed to create something that would help a healthy sperm swim fast enough in order for it to reach the egg and potentially bear a child for infertile couple.
The "spermbots" are micro metal motors that fits exactly at the tail of a sperm and can help propel it faster for it to reach the egg, the movement of the "spermbot" is controlled by magnetic fields and according to lab tests this kind of infertility treatment might just work.
"Our results indicate that metal-coated polymer microhelices are suitable for this task due to potent, controllable, and non-harmful 3D motion behaviour. We manage to capture, transport, and release single immotile live sperm cells in fluidic channels that allow mimicking physiological conditions,"
While the "spermbot" is a promising development in reproductive medicine, the German scientists admit that their project has a long way to go before it would available for the masses. Deeper strides in testing and research are needed to be accomplished before the "spermbot" even reaches levels that make it viable enough for human testing. The scientists have yet to set an expected date as to when they would wrap up their research.
