In a world where technology keeps evolving, especially in the medical field, we see new advancements that make life and practice easier for doctors and treatments better for patients. There used to be an age where the most performant medical devices could only be found in only a few hospitals. Nowadays, some manufacturers are trying to create devices that can be used by the masses.
This is the case of a new type of microscope that has been invented to work efficiently when used with a smartphone. In a recent article, The Vergetalks about a new device that transforms a phone’s camera into a powerful microscope.
This is the creation of DIPLE, a Kickstarter company that says it can give you the phone the power of magnifying a thousand times. This will allow you to look at everything from microorganisms to bacteria, or even blood cells.
DIPLE experimented in the past with some stick-on lenses that would enhance the capabilities of a phone’s camera, but they have now come up with new technology. This new device offers a static and back-lit setup (exactly what you need in a microscope) and as a result a stable image. Although not as portable as previous models from the company, it is still a lot more maneuverable compared to a classic microscope.
Using the phone’s zoom and the maximum 150x zoom offered by this small kit, you can achieve magnification rates of up to 1000x before getting any kind of pixelation. Of course, it all depends on how performant the camera on your device is, but this is still impressive.
This may raise a question – why would anyone want something like this? For starters, it’s an ingenious way of making people become curious, and it is an easy tool to get kids interested in medicine. Of course, DIPLE is not the only company to produce devices like this one, with many other alternatives being available, but most of them not able to compete with the level of detail.
USB-connectable microscopes have been available for a while and ranging in prices from $20 to $200, these instruments can be used for various purposes, depending on their quality.
Bacteria can be found anywhere around us, and if we are not careful it could become dangerous for us. The Telegraph discovered that beauty blenders and make-up brushes could have more bacteria on them than we would like to think.
Of course, you never want to have poor hygiene, and you should never use make-up products that could be considered dirty, or that have been sitting around for a while. Chances are many people would be amazed by how much bacteria and microorganisms lie around our household, and on the products that we use each day.
A small device like the one from DIPLE would help any kind of person have a better understanding of the dangers he or she faces. Furthermore, such a compact device will help those that work in the medical field to have quick examinations without having to bring in “the big guns” – powerful machines capable of showing much more information.
However, if you want to be able to zoom in enough with high-precision for bacterias, you should always use a conventional microscope, at least until an approved pocket-sized model comes to the market. The classic microscope will allow you to zoom in much better, although it takes up more space.
If you want to use a microscope for research, you need a device that is powerful enough to let you see the smallest details. Professionals certainly need a microscope capable of offering more than a 1000x zoom to observe bacteria and microorganisms properly.
Don’t forget that professional microscopes also offer you the possibility to observe through the eyepiece as well as with the help of a monitor. And you can really see in much more detail with your naked eye, comparing to seeing something on the screen of your phone.
No matter what the future brings, the medical field should be constantly progressing to help save more lives. A device placed on a phone’s camera can be the start of a new industry that would revolutionize the medical field for the better.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
