University of Strathclyde develops reportedly world’s first fully 3D printed microscope

The innovative microscope offers affordable, accessible imaging technology for medical and scientific use, especially in low-income regions

Scientists at the University of Strathclyde have created the world’s first fully 3D printed microscope in under three hours and for less than £50. This is a significant reduction in cost compared to traditional microscopes. Using a publicly available design from OpenFlexure, the team printed the microscope’s frame and clear plastic lenses they designed themselves with low-cost 3D printers.

The device was completed by adding a shop-bought camera and light, all controlled by a Raspberry Pi computer processor. The team tested the microscope’s imaging performance using standard test samples, including a stained blood smear and a stained, thin section of mouse kidney. The microscope demonstrated sub-cellular resolution, clearly imaging individual red blood cells and detailed structures in the kidney sample.

Dr Liam Rooney, postdoctoral research associate, who developed the device with Professor Gail McConnell in Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, said, “In under three hours, you can transform a design, freely available on the internet, into a fully functional optical microscope. This opens the doors to democratised access, rapid prototyping, and bespoke design of microscopes and optics at a fraction of the price of traditional microscopes. It could help scientists and medics in low-income countries around the world, as well as enabling students to learn more about science through accessible, cheap kit.”

The microscope uses a single lens with a 2.9x magnification. While this is on the lower end of the magnification spectrum, its resolving power, the ability to clearly image a sample, is critical for diagnostic purposes. Traditional diagnostic microscopes can cost between £10,000 and £15,000.

The key innovation of this microscope lies in the use of 3D printed plastic lenses, which Professor McConnell and Dr Rooney have refined with colleagues worldwide over three years. The frame used for the microscope’s build is already used for diagnostic imaging in low-income settings, but the combination of this frame with 3D-printed lenses – each costing just 11 pence to produce – makes the device more accessible, cheaper, and quicker to build.

A crucial breakthrough in the project was ensuring precise control over the shape of the lens and eliminating the ‘stepping artefacts’ that can occur when 3D printers add layers of plastic to form a structure. The results have been submitted for publication in the Journal of Microscopy, and the paper is currently in pre-print ahead of peer review.

The project was supported by researchers from multiple departments at the University of Strathclyde, including the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering and the Department of Physics, as well as from the University of Glasgow’s Department of Bacteriology. Funding was provided by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Royal Society, and the Leverhulme Trust.

 

3D printed microscopeBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)Medical Research CouncilOpenFlexureRaspberry PiUKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)University of Strathclyde
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