Tech
Smartphone 'Microscope' Developed That Can Detect a Single Virus, Nanoparticles
Mark Hoffman
First Posted: Sep 19, 2013 03:49 PM EDT
A nano-tech portable smartphone attachment that can be used to detect extremely small viruses and bacteria without the need for bulky and expensive microscopes and lab equipment has been developed by UCLA engineers.
Capturing clear images of objects as tiny as a single virus or a nanoparticle is difficult because the optical signal strength and contrast are very low for objects that are smaller than the wavelength of light.
"This cellphone-based imaging platform could be used for specific and sensitive detection of sub-wavelength objects, including bacteria and viruses and therefore could enable the practice of nanotechnology and biomedical testing in field settings and even in remote and resource-limited environments," said Aydogan Ozcan, a professor of electrical engineering and bioengineering at UCLA. "These results also constitute the first time that single nanoparticles and viruses have been detected using a cellphone-based, field-portable imaging system."
In an ACS Nano paper, Ozcan details a fluorescent microscope device fabricated by a 3D printer that contains a color filter, an external lens and a laser diode. The diode illuminates fluid or solid samples at a steep angle of roughly 75 degrees. This oblique illumination avoids detection of scattered light that would otherwise interfere with the intended fluorescent image.
Using this device, which attaches directly to the camera module on a smartphone, Ozcan's team was able to detect single human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) particles. HCMV is a common virus that can cause birth defects such as deafness and brain damage and can hasten the death of adults who have received organ implants, who are infected with the HIV virus or whose immune systems otherwise have been weakened. A single HCMV particle measures about 150–300 nanometers; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers thick.
In a separate experiment, Ozcan's team also detected nanoparticles — specially marked fluorescent beads made of polystyrene — as small as 90–100 nanometers.
To verify these results, researchers in Ozcan's lab used other imaging devices, including a scanning electron microscope and a photon-counting confocal microscope. These experiments confirmed the findings made using the new cellphone-based imaging device.
Ozcan’s other recent inventions include a cellphone camera-enabled sensor for allergens in food products and a smart phone attachment that can conduct common kidney tests. -- UCLA
Reference:
Qingshan Wei et al., Fluorescent Imaging of Single Nanoparticles and Viruses on a Smart Phone, ACS Nano, 2013, DOI: 10.1021/nn4037706
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First Posted: Sep 19, 2013 03:49 PM EDT
A nano-tech portable smartphone attachment that can be used to detect extremely small viruses and bacteria without the need for bulky and expensive microscopes and lab equipment has been developed by UCLA engineers.
Capturing clear images of objects as tiny as a single virus or a nanoparticle is difficult because the optical signal strength and contrast are very low for objects that are smaller than the wavelength of light.
"This cellphone-based imaging platform could be used for specific and sensitive detection of sub-wavelength objects, including bacteria and viruses and therefore could enable the practice of nanotechnology and biomedical testing in field settings and even in remote and resource-limited environments," said Aydogan Ozcan, a professor of electrical engineering and bioengineering at UCLA. "These results also constitute the first time that single nanoparticles and viruses have been detected using a cellphone-based, field-portable imaging system."
In an ACS Nano paper, Ozcan details a fluorescent microscope device fabricated by a 3D printer that contains a color filter, an external lens and a laser diode. The diode illuminates fluid or solid samples at a steep angle of roughly 75 degrees. This oblique illumination avoids detection of scattered light that would otherwise interfere with the intended fluorescent image.
Using this device, which attaches directly to the camera module on a smartphone, Ozcan's team was able to detect single human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) particles. HCMV is a common virus that can cause birth defects such as deafness and brain damage and can hasten the death of adults who have received organ implants, who are infected with the HIV virus or whose immune systems otherwise have been weakened. A single HCMV particle measures about 150–300 nanometers; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers thick.In a separate experiment, Ozcan's team also detected nanoparticles — specially marked fluorescent beads made of polystyrene — as small as 90–100 nanometers.
To verify these results, researchers in Ozcan's lab used other imaging devices, including a scanning electron microscope and a photon-counting confocal microscope. These experiments confirmed the findings made using the new cellphone-based imaging device.
Ozcan’s other recent inventions include a cellphone camera-enabled sensor for allergens in food products and a smart phone attachment that can conduct common kidney tests. -- UCLA
Reference:
Qingshan Wei et al., Fluorescent Imaging of Single Nanoparticles and Viruses on a Smart Phone, ACS Nano, 2013, DOI: 10.1021/nn4037706
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone