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An iPhone Jury-Rigged as a Microscope An iPhone Jury-Rigged as a Microscope
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By sticking a little $8 lens to an iPhone with a piece of double-sided tape, a Canadian doctor has produced a microscope that works reasonably well at diagnosing intestinal worms in children.By sticking a little $8 lens to an iPhone with a piece of double-sided tape, a Canadian doctor has produced a microscope that works reasonably well at diagnosing intestinal worms in children.
The invention, described recently in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, was tested in Tanzania on 200 stool samples from children who had a mix of hookworms, roundworms and giant roundworms.The invention, described recently in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, was tested in Tanzania on 200 stool samples from children who had a mix of hookworms, roundworms and giant roundworms.
A three-millimeter ball lens was taped over the camera lens of an iPhone 4. The camera’s zoom was increased to maximum, and microscope slides were pressed right up to the lens, with another bit of tape atop the samples to keep the lens clean. A pen flashlight shone light through the slide. A three-millimeter ball lens was taped over the camera lens of an iPhone 4. The zoom was increased to maximum, and slides, with tape atop the samples, were pressed right up to the lens. A pen flashlight shone light through the slide.
This inexpensive arrangement did not match the accuracy of a scan of the same slides with a conventional microscope, but it did about 70 percent as well.This inexpensive arrangement did not match the accuracy of a scan of the same slides with a conventional microscope, but it did about 70 percent as well.
The iPhone setup correctly detected giant roundworm eggs 81 percent of the time and roundworm eggs 54 percent of the time. But it was only 14 percent accurate at finding hookworm eggs.The iPhone setup correctly detected giant roundworm eggs 81 percent of the time and roundworm eggs 54 percent of the time. But it was only 14 percent accurate at finding hookworm eggs.
Hookworms produce fewer eggs, and they disintegrate quickly outside the body, explained Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital who led the project. Hookworms produce fewer eggs, and they disintegrate quickly outside the body, said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital who led the project.
To be useful for field surveys — to decide whether to treat a whole village with deworming medicine, for example — the device would have to be about 80 percent accurate, Dr. Bogoch said. But since smartphone cameras are improving rapidly, that may soon be feasible. To be useful for field surveys — to decide whether to treat a whole village with deworming medicine, for example — the device would have to be 80 percent accurate, Dr. Bogoch said. But since smartphone cameras are improving rapidly, that may soon be feasible.
After word of his invention came out, Dr. Bogoch was named “Mensch of the Week” by a Toronto blog. After word of his invention came out, Dr. Bogoch was named “Mensch of the Week” by a blog.
“My mom was happy,” he said. “My mom was happy,” he said. DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.