Device Turns iPad Into Sperm Tester, Startup Seeks FDA Approval

(CBS SF) – Your iPad could soon be used for much more than streaming videos and checking Facebook. A startup hopes to sell a gadget that uses the tablet to test a man's fertility.

According to Reuters, Taiwan-based Aidmics plans to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a device it calls "iSperm."

The iSperm is an in-home tester that consists of a tiny microscope and backlight that attaches to the tablet's camera. A sample is placed in the device and an app analyzes sperm count and motility, or how fast sperm can swim. Users can also record video of the sperm for analysis by a fertility expert.

Reuters reported that nearly 200 farmers have used iSperm to analyze fertility in their livestock.

The iSperm isn't the only device that uses a mobile device camera for medical testing. Researchers at UC Berkeley have been testing the CellScope, which uses a smartphone camera to detect parasitic worms in a person's blood.

If approved, Aidmics hopes to sell iSperm at a price between $100 and $200.