🔬 They've created a complete 3d-printed microscope for less than $60

🔬 They've created a complete 3d-printed microscope for less than $60

Scientists at the University of Strathclyde have developed the world's first fully 3d-printed microscope that can be manufactured in less than three hours for under $60. The microscope can distinguish detailed structures with the same precision as traditional microscopes costing $18,000.

Mathias Sundin
Mathias Sundin

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  • Scientists at the University of Strathclyde have developed the world's first fully 3d-printed microscope that can be manufactured in less than three hours for under $60.
  • The microscope can distinguish individual red blood cells and detailed structures in kidney tissue with the same precision as traditional microscopes costing between $12,000 and $18,000.
  • The 3d-printed lenses cost only 15 cents each to manufacture and the design is freely available on the internet.

Fast and cost-effective manufacturing

Scientists at the University of Strathclyde have created a microscope where both the frame and lenses are 3d-printed. Using an open design from the OpenFlexure website, the scientists produced the microscope's frame along with transparent plastic lenses they designed themselves.

To complete the microscope, the scientists added a standard camera and a light. The entire unit is controlled by a Raspberry Pi computer.

Proves its capability with standard tests

To test the microscope's performance, the scientists used standard samples: a stained blood smear and a thin section of mouse kidney. The microscope demonstrated sub-cellular resolution, clearly imaging individual red blood cells and detailed structures in the kidney sample.

Accessible technology for everyone

Dr Liam Rooney and Professor Gail McConnell at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences are behind the development. The microscope uses a single lens with 2.9x magnification. The crucial factor for diagnostic purposes is the resolving power - how clearly a sample can be seen.

The unique combination of the 3d-printed frame and the 3d-printed lenses makes the microscope more accessible, cheaper, and quicker to build. The researchers have worked for three years with colleagues worldwide to develop the 3d-printed lenses.

A critical step in the development was ensuring control over the lens shape and eliminating stepping artifacts that occur when 3d printers add layer upon layer of plastic to build up a structure.

The researchers have presented their results in a paper awaiting publication in the Journal of Microscopy after peer review.

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