T'easy efficiently detects sperm

BRUSSELS (EFE).— A group of researchers from the Human Reproduction Center at the Brussels University Hospital (UZ Brussel) has developed a tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect sperm in fertility treatment systems in a “much faster and more precise” way.

The technology, called T'easy, allows these reproductive cells to be detected more efficiently, giving users a faster idea of the chances of success of a subsequent fertility treatment, the center reported in a statement yesterday.

In addition, it reduces the risk of losing usable sperm and provides the information necessary for the person to decide to stop searching if quality sperm is not found.

According to the researchers, the application represents a "considerable" time saving in the detection of these reproductive cells.

“Manually searching for sperm in testicular tissue is a tedious and time-consuming task that requires specialized personnel, given that sperm are often rare and difficult to find in this tissue,” the scientists emphasized.

To carry out its work, T'easy uses an app that controls a customized microscope, analyzes images with artificial intelligence, and presents the results in an interface.

Project development began in January 2022, although a pilot study involving more than 13,000 sperm was finally conducted in November 2024.

“In the pilot study, T'easy detected an average of 98% of the sperm present and completed the analysis in 10 minutes, more than twice as fast as experienced lab personnel, who needed about 24 minutes,” the researchers said.

However, while the results of using the tool are "promising," they admitted that some points still need to be "fine-tuned," such as image quality and the need for more diverse data sets.

T'easy More details

T'easy is expected to help with fertility treatments and refine the technique with new research.

Other applications

This system is intended to be applied to the analysis of other types of semen samples, such as ejaculates with very low sperm concentrations or post-vasectomy samples, with the intention of verifying the total absence of sperm.