A super-discount "disposable paper craft microscope" that you can make your own at about 50 yen will be developed

Biophysicist at Stanford UniversityManu PrakashDr. prints his own design drawing and makes his own, only 50 cents (about 51.4 yen) disposable microscope "Foldscope"Was developed. It is gaining attention as a means to easily detect pathogens in areas where infectious diseases are prevalent.

Stanford bioengineer develops a 50-cent paper microscope | Scope Blog
http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2014/03/10/stanford-bioengineer-develops-a-50-cent-paper-microscope/

You can see what type of microscope is 50 cents of "Foldscope" disposable microscope by seeing the following movie.

Print your own 50-cent microscope - YouTube


"malaria,African sleeping sickness,SchistosomiasisandChagas' diseaseIt was my dream to create an "ultra-low-cost microscope" that can easily be detected by anyone, in areas where infectious diseases such as blood are prevalent, Dr. Manu Prakash.


A paper craft microscope "Foldscope" that can be disposable made from such thought. It is a flat form of bookmark size, made of paper, without using mechanical parts driven parts. The cost is 50 cents a day (about 51.4 yen), and it is possible to burn a biological sample after examining infectious diseases and dispose of it.


How to make a paper microscope that can be assembled in a few minutes, first cut out the printed matter and cut the part from the printed design.


We will assemble along folds attached to the parts. It is modeled on origami.


Soldering is required for battery installation.


Install the objective lens with tweezers.


Attach the cover from the top ... ...


Combine the slide strips that adjust the focus and magnification, and you are done.


Enlarged images can be projected on dark room walls.


The Foldscope is made to be extremely rugged, and it will not break even if you drop it or step on it with your shoes.


Even if it is submerged in the water filled in the beaker ......


As you can see, you can continue using it without problems.


"I was thinking that I wanted to provide an almost free free pestilence detection tool as the best way," Dr. Prakashu's thought came from a paper "disposable microscope". If you modify the design drawing slightly, bright field microscope ·Fluorescence microscope· It can also be applied to microscope projection. It is not a precise curved glass lens used for conventional microscopes, but it uses a spherical lens that costs less than 17 cents (about 17.5 yen).

For actual use, mount the sample on the Foldscope slide and fix it. Pinch the strips with your thumb and forefinger and align the position, bring your eyes close to the lens until the eyelashes touch. You can adjust the focus with the target by sliding paper parts with your fingers.


The sample can be expanded up to 2000 times, and the following is a picture taken through FoldscopeGiardia lamblia(A) "and" DonovanLeishmania(B) ".


In addition, Foldscope is designed to add various combinations of colored LEDs that operate with watch battery, as well as customize for specific biological detection by adding stained sample or fluorescent filter.

Besides being a means of detecting inexpensive plague, Dr. Prakash takes into consideration the use of children aiming at scientists as an educational tool that can be easily touched by a microscope, and said that he is passionate toward mass production It is that.


There is also a movie showing the state that Dr. Prakash announces Foldscope at TED.

Stanford microscope inventor featured on TED Talk | Scope Blog