FDA approval granted for DIY home sperm-counting tech

Load. Spin. Read. Those are the simple instructions for a portable centrifuge for home sperm counting which received FDA approval last month, as reported by The Verge. If you need to know your sperm count but don’t feature going to a doctor’s office or clinic to get it done, starting this fall you’ll be able to do it yourself in the privacy of your own home. The Trak home sperm count system, developed by Sandstone Diagnostic, has just received FDA approval for sale and will be available in October 2016 for $160.

Fertility questions are often directed to women first, but sperm production is a factor for many of the couples who have difficulty conceiving. With Trak, men can run multiple sperm counts with the portable centrifuge and supplied materials. There is also a smartphone app (the company CEO has decided to call it “a tool”) that records your sperm count and suggests lifestyle changes that can increase sperm count and health.

Embracing its masculine side, the company has given its informational website the name Don’t Cook Your Balls, and it bills the site as “A Light-Hearted Guide to Men’s Sexual and Reproductive Health.” It features articles about fertility, men’s health, sexuality, and dangers and threats to man parts.

At the 2015 Health 2.0 Conference Sandstone Diagnostic’s CEO Greg Sommer presented Trak and even recounted his personal transformation story. When he was trying to lose some weight he decided to see how that would affect his sperm count. In 100 days Sommer lost 15 pounds, and in the process doubled his sperm count. He further mentioned that he and his wife are now expecting their second child, to  the applause of those in attendance.

Sandstone Diagnostics’ materials provide some laughs, but fertility concerns are a serious and important matter. If the Trak system can help you improve your sperm count or discover that you have an issue that might require a doctor’s office visit after all, it’s worth the investment.