News | Monash University Study Finds High-Frequency Ultrasound May Increase Sperm Motility by 30%
A research team at Australia’s Monash University published a world-first study in Advanced Science finding that high-frequency ultrasound can significantly improve human sperm motility within a very short time, potentially offering a new approach for couples affected by male-factor infertility.
The study was led by Dr. Reza Nosrati of Monash University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, with Professor Adrian Neild and doctoral student Junyang Gai as principal authors. Experiments found that sperm treated with high-frequency ultrasound increased their average swimming speed by about 30%, while just 20 seconds of stimulation increased the number of motile sperm by about 30%. This could allow more sperm to move quickly through the curved path of the fallopian tubes and improve the likelihood of reaching the egg.
World Health Organization data indicate that about 48 million couples and 186 million individuals worldwide experience infertility. Low sperm motility is a major cause of male infertility. Pentoxifylline has previously been used to induce twitching in sperm, but its invasiveness and tendency to cause rapid sperm death have limited clinical use.
Dr. Nosrati said: “We found that high-frequency ultrasound increases sperm metabolic activity, effectively giving sperm a ‘motor’ that helps them swim faster toward the egg. This is an exciting development in male infertility treatment, and we hope to begin large clinical trials soon.”
Professor Neild added that the method is safe, noninvasive, and fast, requiring only 5–50 seconds to significantly improve sperm movement. It could be integrated into in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory workflows, such as immediately after semen collection. The team is also developing a portable device for future use in fertility centers.
First author Junyang Gai said: “Our method can induce twitching in previously immotile sperm to assess viability and can increase the swimming speed of motile sperm, helping clinicians select sperm for assisted reproduction.”
The work is another advance in Dr. Nosrati’s research on microfluidics in male fertility and assisted reproduction. His international awards include Canada’s Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence in Microsystems and Nanotechnology (2016), Iran’s ROYAN International Research Award in Embryology and Andrology (2018), and the Society for Reproductive Biology’s Newcastle Emerging Leader Award in 2021, when he became its first engineer recipient.
This technology offers a less invasive direction for male infertility treatment. If clinically validated, it may reduce the burden of both natural conception and assisted reproduction and improve reproductive opportunities for millions of families.
News | Monash University Study Finds High-Frequency Ultrasound May Increase Sperm Motility by 30%
News | Monash University Study Finds High-Frequency Ultrasound May Increase Sperm Motility by 30%
A research team at Australia’s Monash University published a world-first study in Advanced Science finding that high-frequency ultrasound can significantly improve human sperm motility within a very short time, potentially offering a new approach for couples affected by male-factor infertility.
The study was led by Dr. Reza Nosrati of Monash University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, with Professor Adrian Neild and doctoral student Junyang Gai as principal authors. Experiments found that sperm treated with high-frequency ultrasound increased their average swimming speed by about 30%, while just 20 seconds of stimulation increased the number of motile sperm by about 30%. This could allow more sperm to move quickly through the curved path of the fallopian tubes and improve the likelihood of reaching the egg.
World Health Organization data indicate that about 48 million couples and 186 million individuals worldwide experience infertility. Low sperm motility is a major cause of male infertility. Pentoxifylline has previously been used to induce twitching in sperm, but its invasiveness and tendency to cause rapid sperm death have limited clinical use.
Dr. Nosrati said: “We found that high-frequency ultrasound increases sperm metabolic activity, effectively giving sperm a ‘motor’ that helps them swim faster toward the egg. This is an exciting development in male infertility treatment, and we hope to begin large clinical trials soon.”
Professor Neild added that the method is safe, noninvasive, and fast, requiring only 5–50 seconds to significantly improve sperm movement. It could be integrated into in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory workflows, such as immediately after semen collection. The team is also developing a portable device for future use in fertility centers.
First author Junyang Gai said: “Our method can induce twitching in previously immotile sperm to assess viability and can increase the swimming speed of motile sperm, helping clinicians select sperm for assisted reproduction.”
The work is another advance in Dr. Nosrati’s research on microfluidics in male fertility and assisted reproduction. His international awards include Canada’s Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence in Microsystems and Nanotechnology (2016), Iran’s ROYAN International Research Award in Embryology and Andrology (2018), and the Society for Reproductive Biology’s Newcastle Emerging Leader Award in 2021, when he became its first engineer recipient.
This technology offers a less invasive direction for male infertility treatment. If clinically validated, it may reduce the burden of both natural conception and assisted reproduction and improve reproductive opportunities for millions of families.
Source:
Collected online