Simple ultraviolet microscope using off-the-shelf components for point-of-care diagnostics

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Microscopy
• Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Background:

• Primary care settings often lack advanced laboratory equipment, necessitating simple, robust diagnostic tools.
• Current medical devices require ease of operation for self-testing and rapid diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simplified fluorescence microscope design utilizing ultraviolet (UV) excitation.
• To create a cost-effective, compact, and user-friendly diagnostic device for primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• Designed a fluorescence microscope using off-the-shelf components and UV excitation.
• Eliminated the need for traditional excitation, emission, and dichroic filters.
• Validated the system by imaging acridine orange-stained whole blood samples.

Main Results:

• The UV fluorescence microscope demonstrated a simple opto-mechanical design.
• The device is potentially more compact, easier to use, and less expensive than conventional microscopes.
• Successfully performed a two-part white blood cell differential count for biological validation.

Conclusions:

• A simple UV fluorescence microscope can be constructed using readily available components.
• This approach offers a viable, low-cost alternative for point-of-care diagnostic applications.
• The developed microscope is suitable for biological sample analysis, including white blood cell differential counts.