Recently, a German female designer invented a new technology , a male contraceptive device that uses ultrasound to temporarily stop male sperm from regenerating.
When netizens know the specific operation of this black technology, they specifically named it "hot spring egg".
Why?
The machine was designed because the designer was not suitable for taking the pill, and there are currently no viable contraceptive devices on the market for men other than condoms and ligation surgery.
After all, it is not easy to keep an eye on hundreds of millions of sperm, so that there is no fish that slip through the net.
Designer Rebecca Weiss
For the happiness of the two people, Rebecca consulted experts in various fields from urology, male hormones, psychotherapy and more than 400 potential users, and finally put her idea into action and realized it.
It is such a device that resembles a small bowl.
The design also earned her the James Dyson Award, an internationally renowned award for outstanding student performance in design and engineering.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="71" > how does this black technology work? </h1>
Let your eggs soak in hot water
The user fills it with water before use, then heats it to working temperature, and finally immerses the egg in it and sits for a few minutes.
There is an ultrasound device at the bottom of this device. Due to the action of ultrasound, it temporarily prevents sperm growth, so the effect of contraception can be achieved.
It's just that this design is still in the conceptual stage, and it is theoretically feasible [only tested on animals].
Globally, there are more than 213 million pregnancies per year, of which 40% (85 million) are unintended pregnancies.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="219" > why male contraception should be used</h1>
There are a variety of contraceptive methods on the market, and women have many options, including long-acting, reversible methods. But men's options are nothing more than two, vasectomy is effective but costly, condoms can reduce the spread of the disease, but there is a certain percentage of failure rates.
Therefore, as early as the 80s, scientists were already studying new contraceptive methods for men.
The testicles require a slightly lower temperature than the rest of the body to produce sperm normally.
So there are a lot of warnings about men not taking hot baths, working on their laptops on their laps, and not wearing leggings. But bathing, computer heat, etc. are not enough to make the number of sperm reach the effect of contraception.
Scientists are wondering how this thermal effect can be enhanced without harming the health of the body.
The productivity of sperm is very strong, which is related to the continuation and survival of a species. It's really hard to find a way to turn off sperm production, but ultrasound seems to be able to do just that.
Ultrasonic technology
Ultrasonic therapy technology has long been used in the field of human physiotherapy, through ultrasonic deep heating, it can increase the blood circulation of injured joints in the human body.
It turns out that ultrasound can also be used on other body parts, including the testicles.
Animal experiments
Dr. Fahim of the University of Missouri in Colombia was the first person to try therapeutic ultrasound contraception.
Experiments he and his team conducted on mice, cats, dogs, monkeys, and even 8 men showed results, and he published journal reports and book chapters in 1975-1982 and patents in 1977 and 1978.
It stands to reason that this project of great commercial value should continue to advance, so why have it been stranded for decades?
In 1988, another expert did ultrasound contraception contrary to Dr. Farhim's original experiments. When he tried to repeat the experiment, he found that the ultrasound did not have a noticeable effect on sperm. Even if he turned the ultrasound high, it had little effect.
When skepticism emerged, the entire study of ultrasound contraception was put to a halt, and the project was shelved for decades.
In the decades since ultrasound contraceptive trials stopped, thousands of men still signed petitions on specialized websites hoping for new alternatives.
Experiment restart
In 2006, the fate of ultrasound began to change, and a small foundation dedicated to the promotion of male contraception found new experimental experts. Since Dr. Fahim died in 1995, the experimental team consulted with Dr. Fahim's only living colleague to ensure that the details of the experiment were not missing.
It is said: "Dr. Fahim's initial ultrasound condition (1 MHz, 1 W/cm2, 10 minutes) can eliminate essentially all germ cells. But when the team tested against rats, they didn't get the data results they wanted.
However, with perseverance, they finally found an effective duration and course of treatment.
Ultrasound is performed on rats for 15 min each time, with an interval of two days. During treatment, the rat's testicles are placed in a cup of saline to provide conduction between the ultrasound transducer and the skin.
Microscopic examination showed a huge change after only two weeks. Normally, the testicles should be filled with many layers of cells that develop into sperm, but now the tubes of the testicles are almost empty.
This is an ultrasonic device currently used for rat research. Two applications with a 48-hour interval allow rats to have a long-lasting contraceptive effect
The researchers were so encouraged by the results that they went further into trials against "species closest to humans."
Monkey trials
However, the experiment did not go as smoothly as they thought. The duration and duration of treatment in monkeys has changed again.
The lead researcher said: "We were discouraged at first. The monkeys didn't seem to mind the treatment at all, but our lives were not going well. Massaging the monkeys' testicles three times a week for 30 minutes at a time made us feel silly and useless when the technicians came over and wanted to know what research we were doing. ”
The good thing is that the end result is good.
In monkeys, they achieved a shorter effect (six weeks of contraceptive duration) through longer periods of treatment (three 30-minute treatments at intervals of two days).
Although the researchers knew that the results of ultrasound contraception were reversible, no one had tested it in humans.
Human trials
There have been many science maniacs in history who are willing to dedicate themselves to science. Dr. Jenks was also one of the pioneers.
He knew that he could weaken his sperm count by heat, so he made his own underwear, which brought his testicles closer to his body, so that the testicles could not produce sperm normally because they were too hot.
With his background in chemistry and skills in using microscopes, he records sperm counts over each period of time and publishes them on his website.
Sure enough, within a month, his sperm count dropped below the tipping point of fertility. The method worked so well — so good that he continued to use it for nearly 12 years and produced the first long-term data on thermal effects.
In 2010, he stopped the method, wondering if his body could still get back to work. Two months later, the sperm count seemed to be climbing again, but a new problem arose, and even though it had been a year, most of his sperm had not been swimming.
Dr. James thinks it may be because he has been using this method for too long, but fortunately he has no plans to have children.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="253" > summary</h1>
Ultrasound appears to be a safe, effective and acceptable contraceptive method, and has also been shown to work in animals.
But new questions arise, whether it is temporary contraception or permanent contraception, whether it is used as a commodity, or whether it must go to the hospital to strictly implement the operation under the guidance of a doctor.
Every new innovation and invention is always accompanied by enormous challenges and ethical pressures.
In addition to security, one needs to consider whether this approach will have subsequent adverse effects.
"Permanent may be good."
If you use this method and want to have children in the future, no one knows how the quality of the first sperm produced will be.
After all, any method that leads to male infertility can have an impact on embryonic development. These are all reasons why we need to be cautious about the use of new technologies.
At least the future of ultrasound is uncertain.