This is the repository for the Smartphone Microscope.
It's based on a compound microscope which itself relies on finite corrected objective lenses. The Smartphone reimages the image of the ocular onto the camera sensor. This means that the cellphone's camera lens acts like the eye. Proper imaging is achieved if the exit pupil of the eyepiece is matching well with the entrance pupil of the smartphone camera.
Further details can also be found in the cell-scope publication by Professor Fletcher at Berkeley. It can also be found on their website.
The optical path is relying on the finite corrected objective (MO) lens which produces an intermediate image in its tube-length. This image is propagated to infinty by the eyepiece (EP). The smartphone (CAM) expects this image to form an image on the cellphone's camera-sensor. The mirrors (M) are basically just folding the beam, the LED-Array (LA) is giving the opportunity to have different imaging modalities like Dark-, Brightfield or (quantitative) Differential Phase Contrast.
The files contain a fluorescent module which works in darkfield configuration.
Note: The pictures on this site do not show the latest version of the Z-stage. Follow the respective assembly guidelines.
- Z-Focus
- Upright Microscope
- High resolution
- Open-Source
- Compatible with Educational/Professional fields
- Compatible with almost any smartphone
- Different imaging modalities
- Different illumination modes
- Fluorescent Module enables "true" fluorescent imaging
- The electronics can be operated via WiFi
| Name | Properties | Price | Link | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4×4 Baseplate | - | 5€ | Base-plate | 1 |
| Module: Z-Stage | Optionally with Fluomodule | ?? € | Z-Stage | 1 |
| Module: Mirror 45° | - | 5€ | Mirror 45 | 2 |
| Module: Eyepiece with Smartphone Holder | - | ??€ | Eyepiece + Smartphone | 1 |
| Module: LED array | Optionally LED Ring | ??€ | LED array | 1 |
| Module: Empty Cube | For stability of the setup, it is better to fill the empty positions under other cubes. | 4€ | Cube | 3 |
- 1× Base-plate 4×4
- 6× Cube base 1×1
- 7x Cube lid 1×1
- 1× Cube base 2×1
- 1× Cube lid 2×1
- 1× LED Array Holder
- 1× Cube Insert for Eyepiece
- 1× Smartphone Holder
- 2× Cube Insert for Mirror - 45°
- 1× Cube Insert for Z-stage
- 1× Z-stage Insert for Objective
- 1× Coupling Screw M3
- Optional: 1× Z-stage Fluomodule
- Optional: 1× Z-stage Adapterplate
- Optional: 1× Z-stage Clamp for Slides- current design is for 4 mm magnets!
- Optional: 1× Generic Clamp for Slides- current design is for 5 mm magnets (same as Baseplate)
In the end it should look like this:
* Here UC2_v0 parts were used.
- Check out the RESOURCES for more information!
- 1× Smartphone
- 1× LED-Array, Neopixel, 8x8 🢂
- 32× - 68× 5mm Ball magnets 🢂
- 32× - 42× Screws DIN912 ISO 4762 M3×12 mm 🢂
- 1× M3×30 mm and M3 nut - non-magnetic
- 1× Objective Lens (e.g. 10×, NA 0.3) 🢂
- 1× Eyepiece (e.g. 20×) 🢂
- 2× Mirrors (e.g. 30×30 mm² Toymirrors) 🢂
- 2× ESP32 🢂
- 1× Stepper Motor and 1× Driver Board 🢂
- 9× Female-Female Jumper Wire, 0.14 mm² 🢂
- 2× Power cables for ESP32 - USB-microUSB 🢂
- Optional (for Fluomodule): 2× Star-LEDs blue (high power 1-3 Watt) 🢂
- Optional (for Fluomodule): 1x MOS-FET/Power PNP Transistor 🢂
- Optional (for Fluomodule): 4× Screws DIN912 ISO 4762 M3×18 mm 🢂
- Baseplate
- Z-stage
- 2× Mirror Cube
- Eyepiece Cube
- Smartphone holder Cube
- LED array
- 2× Additional empty cube
Don't have much experience with electronics? It's actually really simple:
- When using jumper wires you can avoid most of the soldering.
- LED array - 3 wires
- Z-stage - 6 wires + motor connection
- Power the ESP32 simply with microUSB cables.
- And it works just like that ;-)
🢂 Find more in the Electronics section
🢂 Find the software for this setup in our dedicated UC2-Software-GIT
This is a quick result we shot with an Xperia Z5 of potato starch cells:
This is a quick result we shot with an Huawei P9 of dandelion fuss:
Do you want to show your own results? Do you have ideas for improvements? Let us know!