resolution imaging optics under $1
Interesting Engineering • • technology
Key Points:
- Researchers have developed advanced optical components using consumer-grade 3D printers and inexpensive materials, enabling super-resolution imaging at a cost of less than $1 per custom lens.
- Their method combines 3D printing, silicone molding, and UV-curable resin to produce multi-element lenses capable of imaging beyond the traditional diffraction limit, achieving resolutions around 150 nanometers.
- The team demonstrated these lenses in a multifocal structured illumination microscope, successfully resolving nanoscale biological structures such as microtubules within cells, with image quality comparable to commercial systems.
- To overcome optical scattering from standard 3D printing, the researchers introduced a molding-based refinement process that smooths lens surfaces without time-consuming polishing, producing lenses that match both high-end
