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Caltech Shows Off a Lensless, Miniaturized Microscope
DeviceGuru writes "Caltech claims its researchers have 'turned science fiction into reality' with their development of a single-chip microscope. Although it doesn't have any lenses, the device is said to provide magnification comparable to that of sophisticated optical microscopes. The microscope's magnifying capabilities derive from a technology known as microfluidics, which is based on the channeling of fluid flow at incredibly small scales. Applications for the so-called 'optofluidic microscope' are expected to include field analysis of blood samples for malaria, or checking water supplies for giardia and other pathogens. The project's director thinks devices based on it could be implanted directly into the human body, in order to help arrest the spread of cancer." There's also coverage of the microscope at EE Times.
It was not meant to be funny! This is the dumbing down of our society and it sucks!
If you use actual units of measure:
1) Scientifically minded people will know what you're talking about
2) Young inquiring minds will expand their knowledge of a measuring unit
3) People that don't care enough to find out about measuring units won't care about your article either
If you make up some stupid unit:
1) You annoy scientifically minded people
2) Young minds don't learn anything about measuring units
3) They still don't care!
love is just extroverted narcissism
Just because it's not built from glass (which some may argue is also a liquid) does not make it any less of a lens.
It's not lensless, it's a different kind of lens.
I expected a new microscope to have some pictures to show...
No sig today...
There are lots of applications for a $10 fluid microscope chip.
- Restaurants. You could pour a few drops of your soup, or drink, or meat juice, into your cell phone gadget and it will tell you if there are nasty critters.
- Hospitals. Medical workers can do preliminary blood screenings at admission time--just do a thumb prick, and get a urine sample, and they can discover proteins, various microbes, cell counts (perhaps). This info can go right into the (electronic) chart before the patient has even finished filling out the paperwork.
- Home. Self-diagnosis kits. Test water for microorganisms. Other stuff I can't think of, probably--science kits, for example.
I notice this project is funded by DARPA. Another cool, practical invention from that amazing agency with a tiny budget. Who says you need to throw billions of dollars at a project to get incredible results? If anything, DARPA proves that the opposite is generally true.
it's = "it is"; its = possessive. E.g., it's flapping its wings.
24/7 drug screening anyone?
Calcutta Technical Institute is a fine school.
I drank what? -- Socrates