After struggling for a child for nearly 20 years, the woman has finally got good news. After 15 failed IVF treatments, an AI-based fertility tool worked wonders. The name of this tool is STAR.

The story of a New York couple is a topic of discussion around the world today. After struggling for a child for about 20 years, they have finally received good news. IVF treatments failed 15 times, experts from many continents were consulted, but every time they failed. But when all the rays of hope were fading, an AI-based fertility tool created at Columbia University worked wonders. The name of this tool is STAR (Sperm Track and Recovery), which brought a revolutionary turn in the treatment of infertility.

This is not just a medical breakthrough, but a victory of technology, patience and human spirit. This story is a new ray of hope for millions of couples who are going through the deep sorrow of being childless.

What is STAR and how does it work?

STAR is an AI system that detects live sperm even in semen samples that normally do not contain any sperm.

• A microfluidic chip sorts out the elements of the semen.

• A high-speed imaging system records millions of microscopic frames.

• A machine learning algorithm analyzes these images and identifies hidden sperm.

What doctors call “finding a needle in a haystack,” STAR accomplishes this in a matter of hours – and with such care that the sperm remains viable for use in IVF.

44 sperms, a new beginning

In this couple's case, normal lab technicians were unable to find a single sperm in the sample for two days. But STAR found 44 live sperms in just one hour. After this, IVF was done in March 2025 without any further surgery or hormonal treatment and it was successful. Now the couple is waiting for the arrival of their first child.

Azoospermia: The hidden cause of infertility in men

In this case, the husband had azoospermia, which means no sperm is found in the semen.

Azoospermia is of two types:

1. Obstructive – Sperm is produced but cannot come out.

2. Non-obstructive – Sperm is not produced in the body or is produced in very little quantity.

Its causes may be – genetic disease, cancer treatment, hormonal imbalance, addiction or abnormality in physical structure.

Today STAR only helps with sperm recognition, but in the future AI could also help in:

• Identifying high-quality eggs and embryos

• Predicting the likelihood of IVF success

• Personalized treatment planning

• Detecting subtle defects in reproductive tissues

PC:Zeenews