Researchers at RMIT University (Australia) have developed a 3D-printable “clip-on” that allows anyone—from scientists to the scientifically curious—to turn their smartphone into a fully functional microscope. The smartphone microscope is powerful enough to visualize specimens as small as 1/200th of a millimeter. The researchers are making the technology freely available, sharing the 3D printing files publicly so anyone with access to a 3D printer can turn their own smartphone into a microscope.
Developed at the RMIT University node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), the clip-on technology does not rely on external power or light source to work, yet offers high-powered microscopic performance in a robust and mobile handheld package.
Lead developer and CNBP research fellow at RMIT, Dr Antony Orth, believes the technology has immense potential as a scientific tool, one that is ideal for use in remote areas and for field-work where larger standalone microscopes are unavailable or impractical. They designed a simple mobile phone microscope that takes advantage of the integrated illumination available with nearly all smartphone cameras.
The clip-on has been engineered with internal illumination tunnels that guide light from the camera flash to illuminate the sample from behind. This overcomes issues seen with other microscopy-enabled mobile phone devices. Other phone-based microscopes use externally powered light sources, which are bulky and difficult to assemble.
The microscope is useable after one assembly step and requires no additional illumination optics, significantly reducing the cost and complexity of assembly.
The clip-on is also able to be 3D printed making the device accessible to anyone with basic 3D printing capabilities. A further advantage noted by Orth is that the clip-on enables both bright-field and dark-field microscopy techniques to be undertaken. Orth also sees significant benefit in developing countries for the device.
The new phone microscope has already been tested by Orth and his CNBP colleagues in a number of areas. The research has been published in Scientific Reports, DOI 10.1038/s41598-018-21543-2.
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Image –Smartphone to microscope: The new technology is being freely shared for use by researchers and the wider public.
More information:
https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2018/feb/3d-printed-smartphone-microscope
