Every day, like in a blink of an eye, something great gets created. Thanks to the wonders of technology and to the brains that never stop innovating.
Previously, we simply use mobile phones for texting and calling, of course. Then with the rise of touchscreens, tablets and various apps, many depend on it as their camera and portable computer. Now, how about turning that smartphone or tablet into a hand-held microscope?
An innovative and enterprising mechanical engineering alumnus at the University of Washington (UW) has developed a magnification lens called Micro Phone Lens that turns any tablet or smartphone to become a hand-held microscope.
"A microscope is a tool you can do thousands of different things with and by making it cheaper, portable and able to take pictures, you open so many different possibilities that weren't available before," said Thomas Larson, the innovator of the Micro Phone Lens.
Larson made this possible with the use of a soft, elastic and button-sized lens that sticks to a camera of the device, without the need for glue of adhesive. By this, the smartphone or tablet magnifies things more than a dozen times on the device's screen. The lens comes with a carrying case.
The Micro Phone Lens works by sticking it flat onto the camera lens of a tablet or smartphone, and then switching on a light from an external source before running the device in its camera mode. To bring focus, move the device farther or closer to the object.
Larson came to develop the lens in 2012 when he used to work at the laboratory of associate professor Nathan Sniadecki of mechanical engineering in UW. When the laboratory required a miniaturized lens for a mobile phone to work as a microscope, Larson grabbed the project. Sniadecki said the lens Larson developed is similarly powerful as those microscopes for research in the laboratory.
When Larson made a decision to make his lens product commercialized, he joined the 2013 UW Business Plan competition. Along with his team, they made it to top 16. Eventually, funding came pouring in from different scholarships and awards, which helped them produce early samples and advertising collaterals. Regardless, the project has been considered a risky endeavor.
"Most mechanical engineers have jobs lined up after graduation, but Thomas chose to forego the 'safe' path and plunged himself into risky water," Sniadecki said.
It turned out Larson decided to run a campaign right after last summer's graduation. His Kickstarter campaign got 5,000 persons signing up for the 15X microscope lens, which has been considered a success for someone who just got out of college and still lives in Olympia with his folks.
Again, the rest is history.
At present, Larson has been working on the 15X lens to be made available in the summer as well as on other stylish optics for the new model together with an optical mold-making company. His lab space is in Olympia, where he manufactures the said lenses.
Larson looks forward and hopeful that the latest design may find use also in diagnosing diseases overseas, as he works with an international health physician who will check the microscope's efficiency at a clinic located in Kenya. He also works with teachers to get feedback from their students.
"If I can just make it available, the right people and experts in the field can see its usefulness and take it from there," he said.
Larson, however, was not the only person who went into creating and commercializing products that can turn a smartphone into a microscope, but report says they require adhesives and are heavy and more expensive.
The Micro Phone Lens is for smartphone or tablets with a minimum of 5 megapixel cameras. The lenses are sold for $14.99. For consumers in the U.S., they ship for free. For international, a $5 shipping fee is required.
