Researchers use AI to help infertile couple conceive after 19 years

new delhi: artificial intelligence (ai) has enabled a couple to conceive after 19 years of infertility by identifying two viable sperm cells from over 25 lakh microscopic images, according to a study published in the lancet.the couple — a 39-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman in the us — had previously undergone several failed in vitro fertilisation (ivf) attempts and two surgical sperm extraction procedures.led by zev williams, director of the columbia university fertility center, researchers developed a method called sperm tracking and recovery (star), which uses ai to perform high-speed, real-time detection and isolation of rare sperm cells in samples previously classified as azoospermic — containing no visible sperm.the star system employs advanced imaging to capture over eight million images in less than an hour. ai algorithms then locate viable sperm, which are extracted by a robotic tool for use in fertilisation or storage.inthis case, the system analysed 2.5 million images in about two hours and detected seven sperm cells — two motile and five non-motile. the two motile sperm were injected into mature eggs, forming embryos that were implanted into the woman.thirteen days later, she tested positive for pregnancy, and at eight weeks, ultrasound confirmed a healthy foetus with a heartbeat of 172 beats per minute.researchers said larger clinical trials are underway to assess star's potential in treating male infertility.