A Modular and Affordable Time-Lapse Imaging and Incubation System Based on 3D-Printed Parts, a Smartphone, and Off-The-Shelf Electronics

Vera, Rodrigo Hernández; Schwan, Emil; Fatsis-Kavalopoulos, Nikos; Kreuger, Johan

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0167583

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Affordability and portability in fluorescence microscopy has been accomplished by retrofitting optical elements (objectives, filters, LEDS, lasers, lenses, mirrors) and 3D-printed parts to smartphones cameras [3,5,11–13]. However, smartphones, although extremely powerful and unique, are difficult to reconfigure and take apart [14]; evolve at a rapid pace which may render them obsolete; constant software updates on the operating systems may disrupt their performance [15]; their size hampers further miniaturization and interferes in the integration with other additaments or sensors; and are not optimized for long-term biological experimentation [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facile assembly of an affordable miniature multicolor fluorescence microscope made of 3D-printed parts enables detection of single cells

Tristan-Landin¹,

Gonzalez-Suarez²,

Jimenez-Valdes³

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

18Fluorescence microscopy is one of the workhorses of biomedical research and laboratory diagnosis;19 however, their cost, size, maintenance, and fragility has prevented their adoption in developing countries 20 or low-resource settings. Although significant advances have decreased their size, cost and accessibility, 21 their designs and assembly remain rather complex. Here, inspired on the simple mechanism from a nut and 22 a bolt we report the construction of a portable fluorescence microscope that operates in bright field mode 23 and in three fluorescence channels: UV, green, and red. It is assembled in under 10 min from only six 3D 24printed parts and basic electronic components that can be readily purchased in most locations or online for 25 US $85. Adapting a microcomputer and a touch LCD screen, the microscope can capture time-lapse images 26 and videos. We characterized its resolution and illumination conditions and benchmarked its performance 27 against a high-end fluorescence microscope by tracking a biological process in single cells. We also 28 demonstrate its application to image cells inside a microfluidic device in bright-field and fluorescence 29 mode. Our microscope fits in a CO 2 chamber and can be operated in time-lapse mode. Our portable 30 microscope is ideal in applications where space is at a premium, such as lab-on-a-chips or space missions, 31and can find applications in clinical research, diagnostics, telemedicine and in educational settings. 32 33 3 34

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facile assembly of an affordable miniature multicolor fluorescence microscope made of 3D-printed parts enables detection of single cells

Tristan-Landin¹,

Gonzalez-Suarez²,

Jimenez-Valdes³

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Smartphone cameras use low‐cost CMOS technology, which are able to detect red, green and blue (RGB) light and therefore ideal for optical quantification in the visible wavelength range. An initial application of the integrated CMOS sensors in smartphones was to use them as external cameras for capturing images from the microscope ocular using 3D‐printed adapters . Furthermore, multiple studies have reported the design and development of attachments that are designed to comprise simplified optics that allow to perform microscopy observations directly .…”

Section: Smartphone‐based Imaging Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smartphone‐based clinical diagnostics: towards democratization of evidence‐based health care

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recent advancements in bioanalytical techniques have led to the development of novel and robust diagnostic approaches that hold promise for providing optimal patient treatment, guiding prevention programs and widening the scope of personalized medicine. However, these advanced diagnostic techniques are still complex, expensive and limited to centralized healthcare facilities or research laboratories. This significantly hinders the use of evidence-based diagnostics for resource-limited settings and the primary care, thus creating a gap between healthcare providers and patients, leaving these populations without access to precision and quality medicine. Smartphone-based imaging and sensing platforms are emerging as promising alternatives for bridging this gap and decentralizing diagnostic tests offering practical features such as portability, cost-effectiveness and connectivity. Moreover, towards simplifying and automating bioanalytical techniques, biosensors and lab-on-a-chip technologies have become essential to interface and integrate these assays, bringing together the high precision and sensitivity of diagnostic techniques with the connectivity and computational power of smartphones. Here, we provide an overview of the emerging field of clinical smartphone diagnostics and its contributing technologies, as well as their wide range of areas of application, which span from haematology to digital pathology and rapid infectious disease diagnostics.

show abstract

“…This animal possesses a decentralised neural network known as a 'nerve net' which is distributed across their spheroidal body, directly beneath the epithelial layer (Hernandez-Nicaise, 1973, Jager et al, 2011. Whole-mount immunofluorescence labelling of tyrosylated α-tubulin enables visualisation of their nervous system.…”

Section: Pleurobrachia Pileus Tissue Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whole-mount immunofluorescence labelling of tyrosylated α-tubulin enables visualisation of their nervous system. Tissue was processed in a manner similar to (Jager et al, 2011). Animals were fixed using 50% natural seawater and 50% paraformaldehyde (PFA, 8%) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (Thermo Scientific, 10209252) at room temperature.…”

Section: Pleurobrachia Pileus Tissue Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With flexibility and funding limitations in mind, many researchers have devised excellent cost-saving strategies which include 3D printed microscopes and XYZ translators (Sharkey et al, 2016), (Baden et al, 2015) (Maia Chagas et al, 2017), (Stewart and Giannini, 2016), a $0.58 origami microscope (Cybulski et al, 2014), and modifications to old microscopes (Peidle et al, 2009), (Hernández Vera et al, 2016), (Stewart and Giannini, 2016). These types of systems are advantageous in the field or within incubators but their low cost often equates to a compromise in image quality and a lack of long term stability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Flexiscope: a Low Cost, Flexible, Convertible, and Modular Microscope with Automated Scanning and Micromanipulation

Courtney

Alvey

Merces

et al. 2018

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With technologies rapidly evolving, many research institutions are now opting to invest in costly, high-quality, specialised microscopes which are shared by many researchers. As a consequence, the user may not have the ability to adapt a microscope to their specific needs and limitations in experimental design are introduced. A flexible work-horse microscopy system is a valuable tool in any laboratory to meet the diverse needs of a research team and promote innovation in experimental design. We have developed the Flexiscope; a multi-functional, adaptable, efficient and high-performance microscopy/electrophysiology system for everyday applications in a neurobiology laboratory. The core optical components are relatively constant in the three configurations described here; an upright configuration, an inverted configuration and an upright/electrophysiology configuration. We have provided a comprehensive description of the Flexiscope. We show that this method is capable of oblique infrared illumination imaging, multi-channel fluorescent imaging, and automated 3D scanning of larger specimens. Image quality is conserved across the three configurations of the microscope, and conversion between configurations is possible quickly and easily, while the motion control system can be repurposed to allow sub-micron computer-controlled micromanipulation. The Flexiscope provides similar performance and usability to commercially available systems. However, as it can be easily reconfigured for multiple roles, it can remove the need to purchase multiple microscopes, giving significant cost savings. The modular re-configurable nature allows the user to customise the system to their specific needs and adapt/upgrade the system as challenges arise, without requiring specialised technical skills.

show abstract

A Modular and Affordable Time-Lapse Imaging and Incubation System Based on 3D-Printed Parts, a Smartphone, and Off-The-Shelf Electronics

Cited by 29 publications

References 9 publications

Facile assembly of an affordable miniature multicolor fluorescence microscope made of 3D-printed parts enables detection of single cells

Facile assembly of an affordable miniature multicolor fluorescence microscope made of 3D-printed parts enables detection of single cells

Smartphone‐based clinical diagnostics: towards democratization of evidence‐based health care

The Flexiscope: a Low Cost, Flexible, Convertible, and Modular Microscope with Automated Scanning and Micromanipulation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About