The use of artificial intelligence is increasing across various medical fields, and SpermSearchAI technology has brought a major advancement in dealing with non-obstructive azoospermia. AI is more capable of detecting sperm with greater accuracy and speed, and this technology is now in use at Dar Al Nokhba Center as part of Dr. Mohamed Wael Ragab’s commitment to bringing in the latest medical technologies. So, what is SpermSearchAI technology? And how does it help patients with azoospermia?
Non-obstructive azoospermia
Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) accounts for about 5% of male infertility cases, where sperm are absent from the semen despite no obstruction in the reproductive tract. This is due to a defect in the testicle itself or a hormonal disorder that affects its function, so it does not produce sperm as it should. Below are the most common causes of non-obstructive azoospermia:
- Undescended testicle.
- Klinefelter syndrome.
- Radiation or chemotherapy.
- Y-chromosome microdeletion.
Most patients with non-obstructive azoospermia need assisted reproductive techniques such as ICSI, after retrieving sperm from the testicle using microscopic examination.
Microscopic examination technique
Microscopic examination (Micro-TESE) is the latest technique for retrieving sperm from the testicle, and it is primarily used to overcome infertility in cases of non-obstructive azoospermia. This microscopic technique helps identify active areas within testicular tissue to take samples, then extract sperm in the lab in preparation for ICSI.
Steps of microscopic examination
Microscopic examination is performed under anesthesia, and its steps are as follows:
- Making a precise surgical incision in the scrotum.
- Examine the testicles using the surgical microscope.
- Take samples of testicular tissue where active sperm-producing foci are present.
- After completing the microscopic examination, the doctor closes the surgical incisions.
- The testicular samples are later examined in the lab to extract sperm from them.
Microscopic examination using German technology
Dr. Mohamed Wael Ragab relies on the German microscope (Carl Zeiss), which offers exceptional magnification and the ability to examine the entire testicle. This helps increase the success rates of microscopic examination by identifying active foci within the testicle and extracting sperm from them, especially in complex cases.
SpermSearchAI technology at Dar Al Nokhba Center
Finding sperm in a testicular sample using AI represents a breakthrough in treating male infertility. It is a technique that increases the chances of detecting sperm using artificial intelligence, and Dar Al Nokhba Center was able to introduce SpermSearchAI technology, which enhanced the success of microscopic examination under the supervision of Dr. Mohamed Wael Ragab.
Advantages of SpermSearchAI technology
AI offers many advantages when used to detect sperm, including:
- Speeding up the search process: AI has been trained on hundreds of thousands of sperm images that can be seen microscopically in a testicular sample, making sperm detection much faster than traditional visual scanning. SpermSearchAI operates at a rate of 30 frames per second.
- Improving success rates in difficult cases: In many complex cases, it is difficult to find sperm through visual scanning, but using the high-precision SpermSearchAI technology to capture sperm makes a noticeable difference in such cases.
- Reducing the medical team’s effort: Examining the sample usually takes a long time to find as many sperm as possible, but SpermSearchAI makes detection easier and faster, reducing the required effort and accelerating the workflow.
- Improving diagnostic accuracy and decision-making: The tool is highly accurate in pinpointing sperm locations, which helps improve medical decisions during surgery by extracting fewer samples from the testicle and preserving more of its tissue.
Latest studies on AI-based sperm detection
- In a 2023 study, AI—trained on more than 10,000 sperm images—was used to analyze a testicular sample and compare it with the analysis results of an expert embryologist for the same sample. The AI was able to detect 611 sperm compared to only 560 for the embryologist, noting that the AI took much less time than the expert embryologist.
- In another 2024 study, a comparison was conducted between AI’s ability to detect sperm and that of an embryologist. Out of 2,660 sperm that could be found in a set of samples, AI successfully identified 1,997 compared to 1,937 for the embryologist.
Another comparison was also conducted between the number of sperm an embryologist finds alone and the number found with AI assistance. The embryologist was able to detect only 1,274 alone versus 1,396 with AI assistance, and in much less time.
Real-world results at Dar Al Nokhba Center
SpermSearchAI technology has contributed to improving the success rates of microscopic examination at Dar Al Nokhba Center. A number of inspiring success cases and documented results have been recorded at the center with AI assistance, under the supervision of Dr. Mohamed Wael Ragab—Andrology Consultant and Founder of the Andrology Unit at the center—including:
- Cases of azoospermia with elevated FSH and small testicular size.
- Cases of delayed conception lasting about 10 years.
Microscopic examination with Dr. Mohamed Wael Ragab
Dr. Mohamed Wael Ragab is one of the leading experts in andrology and infertility treatment, with extensive expertise in treating azoospermia cases based on the latest medical protocols. He is also distinguished by performing microscopic examination with the highest success rates, using the latest technologies for sperm retrieval. He also holds:
- A fellowship from the University of Münster, Germany.
- Membership in the European Academy of Andrology.
- A fellowship of the European Society for Sexual Medicine.
- Consultant degree in microsurgical procedures for male infertility treatment.
At Dar Al Nokhba Center, SpermSearchAI technology has become an essential partner in keeping hope alive and achieving the dream of having children for many couples. Dar Al Nokhba continues its leadership and commitment to adopting the latest medical technologies and providing medical solutions to overcome the most difficult cases of male infertility. You can contact us now to book a medical consultation and begin your journey toward achieving the dream of parenthood!