iSperm lets you check your semen using an iPad

You’ve had a hard day at work. You set up the iPad on the coffee table. You watch some Netflix, close the curtain, analyse your sperm count, check Twitter and order some takeaway.

For couples trying to conceive a baby this wouldn’t be the strangest routine imaginable, and Taiwanese start-up Aidmics is hoping to make this a reality with a gadget that lets you analyse sperm from the comfort of your own home.

 iSperm was originally launched in August for the agricultural market. According to Reuters, it has used sold to nearly 200 farms across the globe. So far, it has been marketed as an “innovative boar-sperm analyser”, allowing farmers to maximise the effectiveness of breeding programmes, but Aidmics want to tap into the lucrative human fertility market.

The iSperm consists of a miniature microscope that attaches to the camera of an iPad Mini. A microfluidic chip containing semen is placed into the microscope and lit by a backlight. When the semen, light and microscopic lens are set up, the app lets you record HD video of the sample.

The app also analyses the sample’s sperm count and motility. According to Aidmics’ website, the analysis takes only 17 seconds.

The technology could be a useful piece of kit for couples having trouble conceiving. The video recording and stats could be taken to a doctor, who would be able to give a more authoritative view on your conception chances or recommend a follow-up test.

Aidmics is planning to charge between $100 and $200 (£64 and £129) for the device, which sounds pretty reasonable, as long as the quality of the technology is up to scratch. I’m not sure whether Alphr will be doing a review, but doctor recommendations would help give the iSperm credibility in the human market.

As for boars, the iSperm is already a proven hit. “Our pregnancy success rate increased by 20% after we started using this gadget,” Sam Wang, manager of a livestock farm in central Taiwan, told Reuters.

Whether or not the iSperm will hit shelves depends on a US Food and Drug Administration approval ruling next year. Would you consider buying it? Let us know below.