3D printed miniature attenuated total internal reflection assisted fluorescence microscopy

Area of Science:

• Scientific imaging
• Biotechnology
• Analytical chemistry

Background:

• Advanced imaging and sensing are vital for analyzing cells, DNA, RNA, food, drugs, and forensics.
• Conventional microscopy instruments are often complex, heavy, and not field-portable.
• Emerging portable and field-ready instruments offer alternatives to traditional lab equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel miniature attenuated total internal reflectance fluorescence (mini-ATIRF) microscope.
• To leverage 3D printing for cost-effective and lightweight instrument fabrication.
• To evaluate the performance of the mini-ATIRF microscope compared to conventional fluorescence microscopy.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 3D printing technology for the fabrication of the miniature microscope.
• Employed evanescent field illumination for excitation.
• Incorporated surface plasmon-coupled emission for enhanced signal detection.

Main Results:

• The developed mini-ATIRF microscope is 73% lighter than conventional fluorescence microscopes.
• Achieved fluorescence images that are four times brighter than those from traditional systems.
• Manufacturing costs were reduced by over 95% compared to conventional equipment.

Conclusions:

• The 3D-printed mini-ATIRF microscope provides a portable, cost-effective, and high-performance alternative for fluorescence imaging.
• This technology has significant potential for field-ready applications in various scientific disciplines.
• The study highlights the advantages of additive manufacturing in developing advanced scientific instrumentation.