Microscopy using water droplets

Faqrul A. Chowdhury; Kenneth J. Chau

doi:10.1117/12.906949

15 February 2012 Microscopy using water droplets

Proceedings Volume 8252, MOEMS and Miniaturized Systems XI; 82520Z (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.906949
Event: SPIE MOEMS-MEMS, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Water droplets are an attractive medium to realize visible-frequency optical elements. The smoothness of a droplet surface mitigates losses due to light scattering, the shape of a water droplet is reconfigurable by either applying pressure or a potential, water is nearly transparent over the visible frequency range, and water is highly abundant. Here, we explore a simple methodology to dispense and shape water droplets for application as the magnifying element in a microscope using either reflection-mode or transmission-mode illumination. A water droplet is created at the end of a syringe and then coated with a thin layer of silicone oil to mitigate evaporation. By applying mechanical pressure to the water droplet using a metal tip, the shape of the droplet is tuned to yield focusing properties amenable for microscopy. Images captured using the microscope demonstrate micron-scale resolution, variable magnification, and imaging quality comparable to that obtained by a conventional, laboratory-grade microscope.

Citation Download Citation

Faqrul A. Chowdhury and Kenneth J. Chau "Microscopy using water droplets", Proc. SPIE 8252, MOEMS and Miniaturized Systems XI, 82520Z (15 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.906949

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