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  • Facile assembly of an affordable miniature multicolor fluorescence microscope made of 3D-printed parts enables detection of single cells.

Facile assembly of an affordable miniature multicolor fluorescence microscope made of 3D-printed parts enables detection of single cells.

PloS one (2019-10-11)
Samuel B Tristan-Landin, Alan M Gonzalez-Suarez, Rocio J Jimenez-Valdes, Jose L Garcia-Cordero
ABSTRACT

Fluorescence microscopy is one of the workhorses of biomedical research and laboratory diagnosis; however, their cost, size, maintenance, and fragility has prevented their adoption in developing countries or low-resource settings. Although significant advances have decreased their size, cost and accessibility, their designs and assembly remain rather complex. Here, inspired on the simple mechanism from a nut and a bolt, we report the construction of a portable fluorescence microscope that operates in bright-field mode and in three fluorescence channels: UV, green, and red. It is assembled in under 10 min from only six 3D printed parts, basic electronic components, a microcomputer (Raspberry Pi) and a camera, all of which can be readily purchased in most locations or online for US $122. The microcomputer was programmed in Python language to capture time-lapse images and videos. Resolution and illumination conditions of the microscope were characterized, and its performance was compared with a high-end fluorescence microscope in bright-field and fluorescence mode. We demonstrate that our miniature microscope can resolve and track single cells in both modes. The instructions on how to assemble the microscope are shown in a video, and the software to control it and the design files of the 3D-printed parts are freely available online. Our portable microscope is ideal in applications where space is at a premium, such as lab-on-a-chips or space missions, and can find applications in basic and clinical research, diagnostics, telemedicine and in educational settings.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Ethidium homodimer I solution, ≥95% (Run on Ethidium Homodimer before dissolution in DMSO, TLC), 2 mM in DMSO
Sigma-Aldrich
2-Phenylindole, technical grade, 95%
Sigma-Aldrich
TWEEN® 20, viscous liquid
Sigma-Aldrich
Ethidium homodimer, suitable for fluorescence, ~90% (HPCE)
Sigma-Aldrich
Calcein AM solution, 4 mM in DMSO, ≥90% (HPLC), solution
Sigma-Aldrich
Lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli O128:B12, purified by phenol extraction
Sigma-Aldrich
ECO TWEEN® 20, viscous liquid