Coil slips on tail of sperm and is powered by rotating

One in five men have been diagnosed with slow swimmers, which makes low sperm motility a leading cause of infertility.

Artificial insemination and reproduction technologies are options, but the average success rate is under 30 percent.

In order to beat the odds, a group of researchers are developing spermbots, which could act as a motor that pushes the sperm towards the egg.

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Researchers from the Institute for Integrative Nanosciences at IFW Dresden used a tiny magnet, made of titanium and nickel, to create the metal helices.

The coil is just big enough to wrap around the tail of the sperm and mimics a microscopicmotor by propelling the sperm to the egg with the use of a rotating magnetic field.

CAUSES OF LOW SPERM MOTILITY Excessive Stress - Stress can have a number of negative health effects, including issues with fertility. Excessive Heat - If a man's genitals are exposed to excessive heat, this can result in many problems with the sperm; sources of this heat may include constricting undergarments and clothing, saunas, hot tubs, and laptops. Side Effects of Medications - Some medications can actually cause problems with sperm motility as a side effect of regular use. Poor Diet - A lack of certain vitamins and minerals can result in problems with fertility, particularly deficiencies in vitamin C and vitamin B12. Source: Houston Fertility Center Advertisement

After the sperm makes contact with an egg, it wiggles itself inside and out of the spermbot.

Researchers have reported success during testing, as the spermbots have shown they can be directed to slide one the sperm’s tail and travel to the egg in a petri dish.

Even though the devices are in early stages, researchers have noted they ‘are not overly harmful to sperm’.

But ultimately further testing has to be done to determine how safe they are for human subjects and how effective it will be for patients.

Although artificial insemination is relatively inexpensive and simple, as it just involves a medical instrument that introduces the egg to the sperm, it has a very low success rate.

Overall, this method is only effective under 30 percent of the time, according to the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority of the United Kingdom.

Artificial insemination and reproduction technologies are options, but the average success rate of is under 30 percent. In order to beat the odds, a group of researchers are developing spermbots, which could act as a motor that pushes the sperm towards the egg

Vitro fertilization, or IVF, has a success rate of about 40 percent, but this procedure is more complicated and expensive.

During this process, a women’s eggs are removed from her ovaries with a needled, then fertilized in a petri dish and then transferred back to the uterus or a surrogate’s a few days later.

Researchers have reported success during testing, as the spermbots have shown they can be directed to slide one the sperm’s tail and travel to the egg in a petri dish. Even though the devices are in early stages, researchers have noted they ‘are not overly harmful to sperm’

In vitro fertilization can be more effective, but it's a complicated and expensive process. It requires removing eggs from a woman's ovaries with a needle, fertilizing them outside the body and then transferring the embryos to her uterus or a surrogate's a few days later.

It has been said that men should abstain from sex before trying to conceive to build up their sperm count and improve their potency.

But a new study was published in November from North Middlesex Hospital in London that turns this theory on its head, with findings suggesting that having sex twice within an hour could triple a man’s chance of becoming a father.

Although artificial insemination is relatively inexpensive and simple, as it just involves a medical instrument that introduces the egg to the sperm, it has a very low success rate. Overall, this method is only effective under 30 percent of the time, according to the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority of the United Kingdom.

The study involved 73 couples who were all undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI), a fertility treatment where sperm is placed directly into the womb.

When the men, who were classed as sub-fertile, produced two sperm samples within the hour and the second sample was the one used in the treatment, it resulted in a pregnancy rate of 20 per cent — more than three times the 6 per cent success rate expected with this technique.

Fifteen of the women conceived straight-away and a further ten became pregnant the second time the couples tried the tactic in their fertile period a month later, giving an overall success rate of 34 per cent.