Apaper-based assay can provide quantitative measurement of live and motile sperm concentrations and motility, in only 10 minutes, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Clinical Chemistry. This approach, the authors say, is as accurate as laboratory-based methods and could promote over-the-counter self-diagnostic testing among men, embarrassed to seek clinical testing. The authors say that up to half of infertility globally is caused by male factors. They believe this paper-based microfluidic test can improve upon costly and complex conventional testing (counting chambers, computer-assisted sperm analysis [CASA], and vitality assays such as dye exclusion or hypotonic swelling), as well as existing commercially available home microfluidic-based semen analysis tests— which are hampered by prolonged multistep processing, lack of quantification, reliance on the end-user interpretation, and measurement of only one semen parameter. The authors say the simple design and fabrication make the test low cost, with total material costs of approximately $0.05 per device. The authors say the simple design and fabrication make the test low cost, with total material costs of approximately $0.05 per device. "All these current semen analysis techniques suffer from limitations that prevent their widespread application: testing procedures are long and complex and require expensive equipment, and […]