Researchers in the U.S. and China have developed a method to transform a smartphone into a fluorescence microscope. The handheld smartphone-fluorescence microscope (HSFM) device allows complex biomedical analyses both rapidly and inexpensively. Conventional fluorescence microscopes play an important role to detect diverse cells and proteins, but they are bulky and inconvenient for point-of-care diagnoses. Now writing in Light: Science & Applications, Bo Dai and an interdisciplinary research team detailed the use of liquid polymers to create miniature two-droplet lenses dyed with colored solvents. The lenses were compatible across several different smartphone cameras. The low-cost, experimental setup allowed them to observe and count cells, monitor the expression of fluorescently tagged genes and distinguish between normal tissues and tumors. The easily accessible and affordable smartphone technology can contribute to frugal science and will lead to better administration of onsite and economically viable personalized medicine.
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Source: Phys.org