Development of lenses that can be created with 3D printers capable of skin disease examination by simply attaching to a smartphone is ongoing

A research team at the University of Houston, USA,Can diagnose illness using smartphone lensWhile developing a system,AustraliaThe Australian National University research team in Canberra of Canberra has developed a Nexus 4 compatible lens that can detect skin diseases with accuracy close to the clinical microscope. The developed lens can be created with a 3D printer.

3D-Printed Lens Turns Smartphones Into a £ 1 Microscope to Detect Diseases
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/3d-printed-lens-turns-smartphones-into-1-microscope-detect-diseases-1446204

Conventional lenses for microscopes were made by polishing glass or pouring molten glass into molds to cool them. On the other hand, the method employed by the research team at the Australian National University to develop the lens is to drop one drop of gel-like silicon polymer called PDMS (dimethylpolysiloxane) on a glass slide for microscopes and heat it in a 70 ° C oven Heating with. When heating in the oven is done, add another drop on the heated and solidified silicon polymer and turn the slide over.

By being turned over, the silicon polymer protrudes downward with the force of gravity. The shape of this protrusion draws a curve similar to a lens for a microscope. And once again heating and solidifying it is the completion of the lens. The research team developed a microscope lens that can confirm up to 4 microns in this way. The developed lens can be copied with a 3D printer, and the cost of creating it is only 1 pound (about 170 yen). Steve Lee, one of the research and development teams, said, "The lens we are developing is less expensive to create and it's easy to create. As we have found a way to greatly develop lens manufacturing technology, I am very excited. "


ByJeff Keyzer

When the lens created by the research team and the two LED lights were attached to the Nexus 4 camera, it was found that skin diseases were detected like a device "dermoscope" for observing the state of a shallow part of the epidermis and dermis in detail Succeeded. The image below shows the actual lens attached to the Nexus 4.


The lenses developed by the research team are not as expensive as the expensive lenses used for medical purposes, but because of their low development costs, it is said that microscopes can be used for hobbyists and doctors in developing countries about. Article Writing Lenses currently in mass production are expected to be introduced into the market around the second half of 2014.