A new, portable digital holographic microscope has the potential to make precision 3D measurements more accessible through smartphone-powered technology. This low-cost microscope features capabilities that can assist in various applications, including near-patient testing, education, and scientific research.
The device uses 3D printing capabilities and smartphone-based calculations to create a microscope that is “inexpensive, portable, and useful for a variety of applications and settings.” The new holographic microscope can function in close to real-time, allowing users to zoom in and view portions of the reconstruction in greater detail, similar to normal images captured with smartphone cameras.
The technology has numerous potential applications, including medical uses in regions where these technologies are currently inaccessible. It also has the potential to revolutionize research efforts in the wild, where precision 3D renderings of microscopic objects have previously been impossible.
According to researcher Yuki Nagahama from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the concept for this new holographic application drew from her personal experiences working on portable digital holographic microscopes that initially used laptops as computing systems. However, as smartphone apps extended their capabilities, Nagahama began exploring how they could serve as computers for powering applications in various areas.
The device is not the first smartphone-based holographic microscope, but it is the first to feature almost real-time reconstruction capabilities. The technology relies on band-limited double-step Fresnel diffraction, which enables fast calculations based on the diffraction patterns observed. The faster process reduces the amount of data required for collection during use.
The new system is housed within a lightweight container that includes both the microscope’s optical system and the 3D printer. Holograms are reconstructed using an Android application designed specifically for use with the technology, which employs the image sensor of a camera connected to the device via USB. The resulting image is displayed on the smartphone screen.
Currently, the new microscope can reconstruct holograms at frame rates of up to 1.92 frames per second. Going forward, Nagahama and her team plan to improve the application with help from deep learning to limit unintended artifacts that occasionally arise from the holographic reconstruction process.
Source: https://thedebrief.org/this-awesome-new-holographic-microscope-allows-smartphone-based-3d-measurements-on-the-go/