The first babies ever born through sperm injection using a robotic needle have been reported to be healthy, marking a breakthrough in fertility treatment. The procedure was carried out at the New Hope Fertility Center in New York City using a remote-controlled needle and a camera to insert sperm cells into eggs. The technology could potentially reduce the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) by eliminating the need for highly-paid embryologists. The Spanish company Overture Life, which developed the sperm robot, believes that the fertilization process could one day be automated and carried out by gynecologists. The company has filed a patent application for a “biochip” for IVF labs, which features hidden reservoirs containing growth fluids and channels for sperm to swim through. However, some experts are skeptical that robotics will reduce costs or increase pregnancy rates, as they do not solve the issue of aging eggs, which is a major reason fertility treatments fail. Despite this, many fertility specialists agree that IVF robots are inevitable in the future.
