Simple 3D Printed Microscope
Design
Professor Weinacht had several unused microscope objectives and wanted to see if it was feasible to repurpose them into a fully functional and portable microscope. Utilizing 3D printing, the project aimed to achieve two goals. First, the design need to be portable, enabling the microscope to be easily transported throughout the lab. Second, design should include the capability to capture high-quality images with a smartphone. Initial attempts to take photographs with a conventional microscope made it clear that the phone's camera required precise alignment to produce clear and undistorted images. To address this challenge, the design incorporated an adjustable phone holder, in the form of a platform, allowing users to reliably maintain the camera at the appropriate focal distance for optimal imaging. The setup is highly adjustable, allowing for both top-down and bottom-up illumination.
Hover over the image for more information about each component.
Magnification
The maximum predicted magnification of the microscope is 100x, based on the combination of a 10x objective and a 10x eyepiece. While theoretical calculations can provide this estimate, experimentally the true magnification is expected to be lower. By comparing images taken through the microscope to a reference image of a ruler without magnification, the effective magnification was estimated to be approximately 70x. This discrepancy may result from the distance from the objective and the eyepiece deviating from ideal. However, we know the magnification is comparable to other setups as some online sources suggest that a field of view (FOV) of around 2 mm is typical for a microscope operating at 100x magnification. Knowing the FOV enables the estimation of sizes within the image, such as the sizes of defects.
Looking Through the Scope:
We observed an AMO sample under the microscope using both top-down and bottom-up illumination techniques. The results demonstrated excellent resolution, with fine details clearly visible. Notably, the choice of illumination style revealed additional details; for instance, the defect shown in the third image is only visible with bottom-up illumination, highlighting the importance of being able to adjust the angle of illumination in the setup.
Top Down Pciture of AMO
Top Down Picture of AMO
Bottom Up Picture of AMO
Bottom Up Picture of AMO
Student Biography
My name is Rahul Menon, and I'm an undergraduate student majoring in Physics with a minor in Chemistry at Stony Brook University. I hope to pursue a career in medicine and use physics to advance neurology. Over the past year, I have focused on projects involving 3D printing within our research group. During my first semester, I designed a 3D-printed mirror mount, and this semester, I developed a partially 3D-printed microscope tailored for laboratory use.
Outside of academics, I enjoy chess, hiking, and traveling.
