. | . |
DIY: Scientists release a how-to for building a smartphone microscope by Staff Writers Houston TX (SPX) Dec 01, 2017
Add one more thing to the list of tasks your smartphone can perform. University of Houston researchers have released an open-source dataset offering instructions to people interested in building their own smartphone microscope. The researchers describe the process in a paper published in Biomedical Optics Express, demonstrating that a basic smartphone equipped with an inexpensive inkjet-printed elastomer lens can be converted into a microscope capable of fluorescence microscopy, able to detect waterborne pathogens and perform other diagnostic functions. Wei-Chuan Shih, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said fluorescence microscopy is "a workhorse," used in biology, medical diagnostics and other fields to reveal information about cells and tissue that can't otherwise be detected. The technique allows more information to be harvested from fluid, tissue and other samples, but not everyone has access to an optical microscope that can use fluorescence. It could extend sophisticated imaging techniques to rural areas and developing countries, Shih said. But it also could have more widespread applications, such as allowing backpackers an easy way to test for pathogens in rivers and streams. "We really hope anyone who wants to build it can," he said. "All the pieces can be made with a 3-D printer. It's not something that belongs just to the lab." The work was partially funded with a $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's citizen science initiative, which encourages scientists to find ways to expand knowledge of and access to research. Shih's lab created an inexpensive lens that can turn a smartphone into a microscope in 2015; he and members of the lab created a company to produce and distribute the inkjet-printed lenses, which attach directly to a smartphone camera lens. They continue efforts to improve on that process, and in an article published earlier this fall in Applied Optics they reported engineering a platform - constructed with low-cost parts including LEGO bricks and plastic imaging components - to ensure high-throughput quality inspection of the inkjet-printed lenses. The lenses were used in the work reported in Biomedical Optics Express, which details how the researchers combined simple LED lighting with a 3-D printed cartridge designed to hold a conventional glass slide. The light and cartridge attach to the smartphone. While conventional tabletop microscopes shine light through the sample from above, the Shih lab's technology launches the light from the side of the slide, which is about one millimeter thick. The LED light travels through the glass, refracting to allow the observer to view cell nuclei and structure. That's both less expensive and less complicated to operate, Shih said. "To pursue ultra-simplicity for open-source do-it-yourself fluorescence smartphone microscopy, we report the development of an integrated single lens add-on for multi-color fluorescence imaging," the researchers wrote. In addition to Shih, those involved with the project include Yulung Sung, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UH, and undergraduate Fernando Campa. Results from testing water samples for pathogens including Giardia lamblia and Cyrptosporidium parvum using the technology were compared with results obtained using a tabletop optical microscope. Resolution was slightly higher with the optical microscope, but the researchers reported resolution of two microns with the smartphone technology. Shih said he looks forward to seeing the device used by people outside the scientific community. "I feel more and more excited about seeing people adopt simple basic scientific gadgets," he said. "I think it will have more impact if we let people play with it, rather than trying to hold it as a secret. We should make it as easy and accessible as possible for everyone."
Princeton NJ (SPX) Nov 27, 2017 A discovery by an international team of researchers from Princeton University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Humboldt University in Berlin points the way to more widespread use of an advanced technology generally known as organic electronics. The research, published Nov. 13 in the journal Nature Materials, focuses on organic semiconductors, a class of materials prized for their a ... read more Related Links University of Houston Satellite-based Internet technologies
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |