DGaO-Proceedings 2016 – http://www.dgao-proceedings.de – ISSN: 1614-8436 – urn:nbn:de:0287-2016-P044-9
submitted: 15.Jul.2016 – published: 10.Aug.2016
Literature: [1] N. Switz, M. D‘Ambrosio, A. Fletcher, „Low-Cost Mobile Phone Microscopy with a Reversed Mobile Phone”, PLoS ONE 9(5): e95330, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0095330
Carsten C. Reichert, Alois M. Herkommer
Institut für Technische Optik, Universität Stuttgart
An easy and cheap way to use
smartphones as a microscope
Recorded images Artery Musculature Cat lungs Mouse testis
1 mm
Imaging of phase objects
1 mm
Motivation
The evidence of widespread diseases requires microscopic
examination and evaluation by health care professionals.
Smartphones are all around in developing countries and can
serve as microscopes to improve global health care.
Aim
Develop an optical head to use smartphones as a microscope
for diagnostic purposes. The optical head should be cheap,
suitable for many smartphones, resolve structures of 5
microns, and the full image sensor should be used.
We modified the optical head to create a smartphone phase
contrast microscope. We also built a holographic setup.
Both structures are inexpensive and allow imaging of phase
objects with a smartphone.
Investigated optical solutions
The simplest and most cost effective possibility is to use
smartphone camera modules as an optical head like in reference
[1]. We position them (reversed) in front of the smartphone camera
and achieved a resolution of 360 line pairs per mm.
EO 83679 EO 48430 Grintecch h=1,8 mm
EO 84381 EO 84127 EO 83616 EO 83616 Luxexcel
5 mm
Smartphone camera Optical head
3D printed mechanics We designed different objective holders for the smartphone
camera modules. All of them are producible with a 3d-printer and
suitable for many different smartphone manufacturers. All of the
3D printed mechanics allow mechanical focusing.
Blood vessel
Human blood
0,04 mm
Small intestine Cat gland Spinal cord
Pancreas Cerebral cortex Human scalp
0,25 mm