Light microscopy is an important tool in research and medicine and enables fast and effective diagnosis of, for example, hematological and infectious diseases. In developing countries, however, the availability of even simple microscopic equipment is not given. Yet the majority of tropical and parasitic diseases can be detected at an early stage with simple light microscopy and thus treated in a targeted and resource-efficient manner. In contrast, smartphones with powerful camera systems are almost ubiquitous.
In the OneScope project, a prototype of a low-cost smartphone microscope was built and evaluated at the IMT. The OneScope can be manufactured almost entirely by injection molding. By using solid-state hinges (film hinges), the planar fabricated structure can be folded into a cuboidal structure. The OneScope is compatible with most smartphone models and camera positions and enables precise focusing via monotlithic lever kinematics. Depending on the smartphone used, structures with a size of 1.4 µm can be identified. The OneScope represents a powerful tool not only for medicine and science, but also for education, and can be manufactured at a price well below 10 euros.
Publications
- Schäfer MB, Weiland S, Stewart KW, Pott PP, Compact Microscope Module for High-Throughput Microscopy, DGBMT Jahrestagung, 29.09.-01.10.2020, Leipzig
- Hasselbeck D, Schäfer MB, Pott PP, Analysis of the Diagnostic Capabilities for a Smartphone-Based Low-Cost Microscope, DGBMT Jahrestagung, 29.09.-01.10.2020, Leip
- Schäfer M, Reichert D, Stewart K, Herkommer AM, Reichert C, Pott PP, Smartphone-based low-cost microscope with monolithic focusing mechanism, 52. DGBMT-Jahrestagung 2018, 26.28.9.2018, Aachen