MicroNAUT

Introduction

Optical techniques are extremely beneficial in assessing microscopic biological samples. Traditional optical systems composed of microscopes, light source, lenses, filters, camera, power supplies, and a floating air table for stability and support. Most common microscopes fall under the light microscopy category which used light to visualize images. The simplest instrument of light microscopy is bright transmission microscope which produces dark images on a bright background. Fluorescence and hyperspectral microscopes contain similar arrangement of light sources and lenses with additions of filters and a beam splitter.

Needs statement

Microscope is an effective learning tool for students to gain an insight of the unseen tiny world of cells, nano-materials, and bacterias. However, these traditional microscopes are expensive, non portable, and often comes in a single mode. Hence, the lack of these affordable tools for students to actively interact with is problematic as it halts their learnign potetial.

Our Product

Our microscope will be designed as an integrated, low-cost, portable, trii-mode (transmission, fluorescence, hyperspectral) light microscope that can be used in all setting, laboratories, K-12 schools, universities, mobile labs and clinics. We hope this will allow sutdents aand scientists to fulfill their growing research requirement and interests in the Health and STEM fields.

Design

MicroNAUT is a team of Biomedical and Materials Science engineering students on a mission to revolutionize the microscope. Our goal is to design an integrated, low-cost 3D-printed OpenFlexure Microscope (OFM) capable of three imagine modes (transmission, fluorescence, and hyperspectral).

optical configurations for implmentation of tri-mode

a) Schematic of OFM via transmission mode. Light diffused through the diffuser will be transmitted through the specimen on the moving platform via x, y, z direction and magnified by the objective and tube lens to be captured by the camera sensor
b) Schematic of OFM via fluorescence configuration. Specimens will be placed on the slide. O1 represents the objective lens used for sample magnification with Filter 1,Filter 2, LED, and Dichroic mirror as the light filter mechanism. The emitted light will be captured and processed by the camera, CAM.
c) Concept of hyperspectral segmentation with sine and cosine filtering. Sine and cosine filter directly transform fluorescence emission to spectral phasor plot in the hardware. No post- processing of collected data. Will result in 4D data (x, y, z, λ) acquisition with minimal photobleaching of light. Produce spatially distinctive color acquisition beneficial to accurate tissues detection.

What we can offer?

Techniques: our 3D printing (the Fused Decomposition Modeling technique)
Material: PLA (cheap and readily available)
Easy production: low maintenance
Affordable: low cost than a traditional microscope
- Transmission mode: low resolution ~$140, high revolution ~$300 (depend on objective lens)
- Bi-mode and Tri-mode: ~$400
Weight: 1.5lbs (depending on optical & motors used)
Dimension: 6"x6"x9"

Competitor analysis & Market strategy

Competitor analysis

Market strategy: MicroNAUT would apply Pull Marketing Strategy and B2C to fit an open-source product

Target selling price: $150 - $350 for Transmission mode, $450 for bi-modes: transmission and Fluorescence
Github page for software modification and product forum
Email Opinion Surveys
Viral tutorial videos of product uses for kids
Viral videos of customization to expand customer segments