The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Hyderabad developed the world's smallest microscope, Muscope.
The device can prove to be extremely beneficial in understanding the elements of the microscopic world, including the blood cells and disease-causing pathogens.
The Developers
Muscope has been developed by Dr Shishir Kumar and his research scholars, Ekta Prajati and Saurav Kumar, of the electrical engineering department.
It is an on-chip microscope and uses only a few off-the-shelf electronic chips, namely an image sensor and a micro-LED display, making it ideal for automated assembly and operation, reported India Today.
The researchers used a micro-LED display to remove the bulk associated with the light source and also to provide capabilities for computational imaging. The display consists of micron-sized LED emitters arranged on a rectangular array. The LEDs can be switched on and very bright. These features will help to have good quality imaging in a restricted place.
"The Muscope can be scaled down further from its already tiny form to harness the benefits of deep integration, enhanced mobility, lower cost, and robustness. Resource-constrained or specialized medical devices, extreme conditions of environmental monitoring, agriculture, and animal husbandry are some domains where Muscope can excel," the statement said.
Past Innovations
There have been some brilliant innovations by the IITians in past. Some of them are:
Passive Solar Water Wall: Two students from IIT-Kharagpur had come up with an alternative option that could act as a potential replacement for energy-guzzling air conditioners.
Water-For-Plastic Machine: Two former IIT-Bombay students, Anurag Meena and Satyendra Meena, had joined hands with Trestor, which is a start-up company in Chandigarh, to build that allows people to get rid of plastic waste and have access to clean drinking water.
Dirt Detector: IIT-Kharagpur researchers added one more innovation to its kitty. It innovated a low-cost dirt detector, which may help public facilities clean and hygienic at all times.
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