Validation of a portable device (iSperm® ) for the assessment of stallion sperm motility and concentration.

The research article is about the accuracy testing of a new device iSperm for measuring and assessing the motion and concentration of stallion sperm.

Study Overview

• The study’s goal was to assess the accuracy of a device named iSperm Equine, which measures the concentration and motility of horse semen. It used two existing devices, Androvision and NucleoCounter SP-100, for cross-validation.
• Two experiments were carried out to measure semen concentration, total motility, and progressive motility, using different devices and diluted semen samples. Total motility refers to actively moving sperm, while progressive motility denotes sperm moving actively in a straight path.

Experiment 1: iSperm vs Existing Devices

• In the first experiment, the iSperm Equine, Androvision, and NucleoCounter SP-100 devices were used to determine semen concentration and motility.
• The result showed a significant correlation between the concentration readings of iSperm and NucleoCounter. Less than 10% difference was observed amongst their readings using the Bland-Altman test, suggesting their outputs are agreeable.
• Additionally, a high correlation was found between the measurements of iSperm and Androvision for total and progressive motility. This indicates that the iSperm offers comparative accuracy for assessing motility.

Experiment 2: Modified Androvision Parameters

• In the second experiment, parameters on the Androvision device were changed to align with those of iSperm. After changing the parameters, iSperm’s total motility and progressive motility readings were again compared to Androvision.
• The result of the second experiment affirmed earlier findings by demonstrating a significant correlation between Androvision and iSperm’s readings, corroborated by the Bland-Altman test.

Conclusion

• Results from the experiments show that iSperm Equine is a reliable, easy-to-use alternative for semi-automated stallion semen concentration and motility measurements in the field, giving comparable readings to other notable devices.
• The iSperm can perform on-the-spot, objective and repeatable measurements for different types of semen (fresh, cooled and frozen) at the time of insemination. Therefore it provides more insights into the quality and quantity of the insemination doses, which can expedite the diagnosis of alleged subfertility problems and enable fast action.