Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Jul 4: In a remarkable medical breakthrough, a couple who had been trying to conceive for 18 years has finally succeeded — all thanks to artificial intelligence.
The couple, who battled infertility for nearly two decades due to the male partner’s rare condition called azoospermia, turned to Columbia University Fertility Center (CUFC) in the US after multiple failed IVF attempts across the globe.
Using a groundbreaking AI-powered technique known as STAR (Sperm Tracking and Recovery), doctors were able to detect and recover hidden sperm cells from the man’s semen — something that conventional methods had failed to achieve.
Developed over five years by Dr Zev Williams and his team at CUFC, the STAR method utilizes advanced imaging and AI to scan semen samples and identify sperm that are otherwise undetectable. In one case, technicians could find nothing after two days of manual search, but the AI system identified 44 sperm cells within just one hour.
This breakthrough enabled the first-ever successful conception using the STAR method. The woman, who is now pregnant, said, “It took me two days to believe I was actually pregnant. I still can’t believe it’s real until I see the scans.”
Dr Williams described the moment as a game-changer in reproductive medicine. “This will make a big difference for patients worldwide,” he said.
The STAR system works by placing a semen sample on a specially designed chip under a microscope. It then captures over eight million images in less than an hour, allowing the AI to accurately pinpoint viable sperm cells.
This landmark achievement offers new hope for couples battling male infertility and marks a significant advancement in fertility science.