Trak® Male Fertility Testing System Deployed in NIH-Funded Research Study on Fertility and Pregnancy
Sandstone Diagnostics,Boston University,and Stanford University To Evaluate Association Between Sperm Parameters and Fertility in 300 Couples Trying to Conceive
LIVERMORE, CA, UNITED STATES, March 27, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sandstone Diagnostics1, a medical device company focused on a data-driven approach to men’s reproductive health, proudly announced that its Trak® Male Fertility Testing System2 is being deployed in a new NIH-funded research study to further evaluate the association between men’s semen parameters and fertility among couples trying to conceive. The study is being carried out by researchers at Boston University and Stanford University.The new study extends the company’s collaboration with the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO)3 - an ongoing web-based study examining the effect of lifestyle factors on fertility, miscarriage and birth outcomes. Trak Systems will be sent to 300 selected newly-enrolled male PRESTO participants, allowing the men to test and share their sperm parameter results entirely from home. The results from the Trak tests will be combined with health, lifestyle, and fertility data from both the male and female partners.
“The Trak technology is revolutionizing our research,” said Lauren Wise, Professor of Epidemiology at Boston University and Co-Principal Investigator on the new study. “Measuring semen parameters for epidemiological research has traditionally been very challenging. Trak provides a simple and accurate way for men to test their sperm privately at home, and the early results have been very encouraging.”
In October 2017, the research team presented findings from a pilot study of Trak among PRESTO participants at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) annual meeting. That pilot study showed men with a total sperm count less than 50 million had only 0.54 times the odds of conceiving in any given month than men with a total sperm count greater than or equal to 50 million.
“We are thrilled to continue our fertility research partnership with this new grant,” said Karen Drexler, Sandstone CEO. “Male reproduction scientifically remains poorly understood. We’re excited that our technology continues to unveil the link between men’s health, lifestyle and fertility.”
The Boston University and Stanford University grant comes on the heels of World Health Organization (WHO) expert opinion that male reproduction is severely lagging in scientific understanding and should be immediately prioritized within research and political agendas.
The new study, entitled “Feasibility of in-home semen testing in a North American preconception cohort study,” is funded under an R21 grant by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
About the Boston University Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO)
PRESTO is a web-based research study that examines whether lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and medication use have an impact on fertility, miscarriage, and birth outcomes. PRESTO is a non-profit study being conducted at Boston University. It is funded by the National Institutes of Health. For more information, please visit the study website http://presto.bu.edu and follow PRESTO on Facebook and Twitter (@buprestostudy).
About Sandstone Diagnostics
Founded in 2012 in part by government scientists from Sandia National Laboratories, Sandstone’s mission is to provide innovative, data-driven tools to help men assess, manage, and improve their reproductive health. We are a team of scientists, developers, health and business professionals. We are also proud members of the Startup Health and Stanford StartX accelerator programs. But more importantly we are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends who care deeply about improving men’s reproductive health and helping people start their family. For more information, visit trakfertility.com, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TrakHQ.
Frank Tortorici
Marketing Maven PR
9088758908
email us here
1 http://www.trakfertility.com
2 http://www.trakfertility.com
3 http://sites.bu.edu/presto/