Report by Krisha Bansal
Hyderabad, Jul 1: If you have used a microscope, you have probably noticed that it uses lenses and slides to magnify items placed on it. But what if we could use a micro-computer to do the same thing?
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad have developed the world’s smallest, on-chip lense-less microscope called a muscope.
It uses only a few off-the-shelf electronic assembly items, namely an image sensor (an electronic device that converts optical image into an electronic signal), and a microLED display. It measures only a few millimeters in each dimension. A microLED (small Light Emitting Diodes, where diodes are two terminal electronic components that conduct current in one direction) display chip is utilised as the light source.
The display consists of micron-sized LED emitters arranged on a rectangular array.
The micro-LEDs are very bright, and each can be switched on individually. They imaged human blood smear and microbeads of diameter up to 1 micrometer or micron, which is equal to 0.001 mm. This muscope will make medical devices low cost, improve their mobility and automation.
For further details on Mucoscope, check the IIT Hyderabad’s YouTube channel here:-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTs3ogOG_zE