3D-Printed Microscope: It’s Fast, Cheap <em>and</em> It Works!

Scientists affiliated with the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, created the world’s first fully 3D-printed microscope in less than three hours for as little as $62. This technology has democratized access.

“In under three hours, you can transform a design, freely available on the internet, into a fully functional optical microscope,” explains Dr. Liam Rooney, postdoctoral research associate, who created the device in Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences.  

The team chose a publicly available design from OpenFlexure to produce the microscope’s frame and clear plastic lenses they designed themselves using low-cost, accessible 3D printers. A shop-bought camera and a light were added to the device controlled by a Raspberry Pi computer processor. The microscope’s key element is the plastic 3D lenses – each costing $0.14 to make – the team perfected for three years, hence why the device is more accessible, cheaper, and quicker to build. This affordable technology could help scientists and medics in low-income countries worldwide, and students learn more through accessible, cheap kits.