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Caltech Researchers Develop Microscopic Microscope
By admin | August 4, 2008
Dr. Changhuei Yang and colleagues at the California Institute of Technology have developed a microscope smaller than a dime that provides high power magnification without the use of lenses.
Dr. Chang, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and bioengineering has dubbed his device an optofluidic microscope. It can be used on a real-time basis to detect the pathogens that cause malaria in blood samples and to check water samples for Giardia. The cost of a mass-produced unit is around $10.
The microscope is fabricated using a microscopic chip made from a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor that is similar to the sensors used in digital cameras. A layer of metal is then applied over the CCD. Holes less than one-millionth of a meter are punched into the metal in a linear arrangement.
A microfluidic channel is then attached to the top of the metal layer. The sample to be analyzed is then placed into this channel which flows across the holes. Objects in the sample cover the holes and produce a pattern that are then combined to produce a two-dimensional image of the objects in the sample.
According to Yang, the future of the device could include implanting it into humans to detect cancer in its earliest stages.
Copyright 2008 Medgizmo.com
Topics: Infectious Diseases, Oncology, Optofluidics |
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