Important Facts For Prelims
The Paper Microscope: Foldscope
- 23 Jun 2020
- 2 min read
Why in News
Recently, some doctors have explored and validated the clinical utility of foldscope in the diagnosis of diseases using various patient samples.
Key Points
- Foldscope:
- It is an affordable microscope that can be made from simple components, including a sheet of paper and a lens. It cost less than a Rs. 100 to make a Foldscope.
- Upon assembly, the device can hold a specimen slide for observation, and this specimen can be viewed via a mobile phone camera attached to it.
- It is portable and durable, and performs on par with conventional microscopes.
- It was developed by Manu Prakash and is part of the "frugal science" movement which aims to make cheap and easy tools available for scientific use in the developing world
- Benefits:
- Foldscope can be used to diagnose diseases like oral health, urinary tract infection (UTI), leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, and monitor kidney stones.
- It can be employed in public healthcare centres for primary diagnosis or as personal health monitoring devices.
- Apart from the medical field it can also be used in agriculture, to detect various types of microorganisms which affect the crops and animals.
