Milestone in infertility treatment: Doctors at Fakih IVF use AI breakthrough to help infertile couple conceive

In a major milestone for reproductive medicine, specialists at Fakih IVF Centre in Dubai have successfully achieved a pregnancy using an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to locate extremely rare sperm during surgical retrieval. The achievement brings renewed hope to couples once considered untreatable due to severe forms of male infertility.

The innovative technology, SpermSearchAI, is undergoing clinical trials in collaboration with Fakih IVF. The system uses deep learning to assist embryologists by instantly highlighting viable sperm during complex procedures.

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In this case, a 32-year-old male patient diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), a condition where no sperm are detected in semen samples, had previously shown no chance of natural conception. During microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (microTESE), no sperm were initially seen under the microscope. With the support of AI, embryologists identified viable sperm within the tissue, enabling successful intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The couple, who had been trying to conceive for two and a half years, are now expecting a child.

Dr Ranjith Ramasamy, consultant urologist at Fakih IVF Centre, explained: “This was a patient with no visible sperm under the microscope. Without the AI system, the procedure might have been declared unsuccessful. Instead, the technology enabled the identification of viable sperm, providing the couple a genuine chance at parenthood.”

Traditionally, treatment for NOA involves lengthy manual searches through testicular tissue under high-powered microscopes. If no sperm is found, cycles often end without success. Early studies suggest that AI-assisted sperm detection not only reduces search times significantly but also improves success rates by identifying sperm that might otherwise be overlooked.

Globally, similar trials are underway across fertility centers, with early results showing promising improvements in treatment accuracy and patient outcomes.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in infertility care across the region, offering new hope to couples who once had no options.