At Ohio State University researchers have developed a portable pathology slide scanner that uses a smartphone to image, display, and share the scans. Unlike conventional microscopy, digital pathology devices image the entire slide and therefore provide a much wider field of view. This makes it easier to identify tissues that may be a and indicator of or harbinger of disease.
The technology consists of a box with adaptive elastomer liquid lenses that can change their magnification as fluid is pumped in and out of them. Adaptive liquid lenses allow for a smaller final device that can image a slide at different resolutions, so that the final image can be viewed whole as well as zoomed in on to see minute details.
The Ohio State researchers responsible for the technology have setup a company called LiveFocus which will be confirming the usefulness of the technology in clinical practice. The National Science Foundation Small Business Technology Transfer program is providing $225,000 to help the team speed the validation process.
Via: Ohio State…