(Image credit: OpenFlexure)
Researchers from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland built a 3D-printed microscope in under three hours at a total cost of less than GBP 50 (around $60 at current exchange rates). According to New Scientist, the team based their design on OpenFlexure’s open-source microscope design and then paired it with a store-bought camera, a light source, and a Raspberry Pi to control the entire system. However, the groundbreaking part of this low-cost 3D-printable microscope is the use of 3D-printed clear plastic lenses that the research team built.
Traditional lab-grade microscope lenses often cost thousands of dollars, meaning this design makes microscopes far more accessible to anyone. We’ve previously seen DIY Raspberry Pi microscopes that can take impressive close-up photos; while they’re useful for imaging small fine objects, they’re not capable of seeing at the cellular level. In 2022, computer scientist Gary Croft created a high-quality microscope camera that captures images from a microscope. While this is far more affordable than other microscope cameras at just GBP 85 (around $105), it still doesn’t include the price of a Raspberry Pi (which starts at $35) and the trinocular microscope itself (which costs more than $250 on Amazon).
So, producing a microscope that can capture images at the cellular level for less a quarter of the price of “cheap” microscopes on Amazon is an amazing feat. Aside from that, the microscope itself weighs around three kilograms or 6.6 pounds, so you can easily move it around to where it’s needed. The researchers who built the system were able to examine a blood sample and a mouse kidney sample, and they could see sub-cellular and anatomical details that the earlier Raspberry Pi microscopes couldn’t.
This level of quality makes the 3D-printed microscope such a game changer, as it reduces the cost of acquiring one. While a microscope such as this is just a novelty to the average user, it’s crucial for hospitals, laboratories, schools, and more — and its massively reduced price means that even the most cash-strapped organizations could now acquire one, or more.
Aside from the above, this device's 3D-printable nature will help save on logistics. People who need this tool no longer must wait days (or sometimes weeks) to get this microscope. As long as there’s a nearby 3D printer, the required filament, electricity, and an internet connection, you can print this practically anywhere. This makes it a lifesaver in far-flung areas with limited to no access and during large-scale emergencies and disasters.
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