DIPLE - The Revolutionary Microscope for Any Smartphone

DIPLE is an easy to use, compact, and portable kit that transforms any smartphone and tablet into a POWERFUL microscope. Whether you use it for research, education, or just for fun, from the observation of microorganisms or cells, with DIPLE anyone can access the microworld in an amazing detail!

Botanic cross section under DIPLE lens

3 different objective lenses for 3 different levels of magnification

DIPLE is ideal for educational purposes, at home, in schools and universities, at any age.

For indoor or outdoor uses, it is the ideal solution for scientific investigations, generating incredible engagement.

Outdoor experiments with DIPLE

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DIPLE has been selected and used for Science education in many schools and universities; DIPLE has been used for classes at the Cornell University, Wisconsin University, Occidental College, TUM, CUNY, etc. It has also been used in camps for outdoor experiences.

University class with DIPLE

You can read about the use of DIPLE in a class of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the article at this link, on the open access journal "Education Sciences" .

Here an article on a prestigious scientific journal where DIPLE has been used for medical Science and here for medtech.

See an example of DIPLE BF kit in this video:

 

The compactness of DIPLE perfectly suits any situation in which a compact bright-field microscope of the size of a pencil case is needed. And with all the software capabilities offered by modern smartphones/tablets (pics, videos, sharing...).

 

DIPLE in use to observe frog blood cells (sample of prepared slide provided in the kit)

DIPLE is capable of giving you 1000x magnification using your smartphone or tablet as a monitor. Set up takes seconds - all you need to do is place your camera on the optical system. You can even take pictures and videos in HD!

Pollen grains taken with DIPLE Grey - courtesy of Margaret Frank, Cornell University

To make sure that DIPLE is truly portable for exploration on the go, we have designed it to easily withstand being dropped - even from the third floor of a building (yes, we did the test!). The technology of DIPLE (patented) provides an unprecedented quality of image for a budget microscope.

DIPLE RGBS in use to see cells of onion root

Experiments at home, at any age

Key features

LIGHT, COMPACT, AND PORTABLE: The whole DIPLE system can be taken anywhere. Measuring in at 17,6cm length, 10cm width and 4cm in height, it’s actually smaller than the box your smartphone came in!

EXTREMELY POWERFUL: You can clearly see cellular details, and even bacteria! Thanks to its great optical power, you can digitally zoom the image for achieving an overall MAGNIFICATION OF 1000X before getting any pixelation (with optical resulution well below 1 micrometer).

OBJECTIVE LENS: Unlike other products, having the objective lens separate to the phone camera ensures an easier way to find the ideal focal distance, even for EXTRA THIN samples (e.g. blood cells). It also means that it does not depend on the shape of your phone, so it works with all types.

IMMERSION MICROSCOPY: The flat surfaces of the magnifying objective lenses can work when immersed in transparent liquids.

MODULAR: This means that you can upgrade your system in the future, getting new single spare parts, or use it for your own optical improvements.

DURABLE: The innovative objective lens of DIPLE is made with metal, meaning the objective lens can drop from 10 meters (33 ft) without issue.

NO FUSS:  To keep set up as simple hassle free as possible, you don’t need to remove your phone / tablet case as you would with other products

FINE REGULATION (SUB-MICRON) OF THE FOCAL DISTANCE: A purposefully designed mechanical system allows you to move toward or away from your sample with extreme precision, always obtaining the perfect focus.

ORIGINAL DESIGN: The patent pending design is unique, you do not have to add or clamp anything to the body of your phone.

CARRYING BOX: It’s not just a container, but a functional part of the product. It is the mechanical support for all the components when you are using the product.

AFFORDABLE PRICE: How many portable microscopes allowing you to see bacteria are sold at about 100USD? 

People who love DIPLE

Find your perfect DIPLE

There are three versions of DIPLE objective lenses for bright field microscopy + the  DIPLE LUX for exploring the microscopic details of opaque surfaces.

DIPLE RED, providing 35x REAL magnifications - resolution of 3 micron, field of view of around 1 mm - to see cells, microorganisms (protozoans, rotifers, water bears...);

DIPLE GREY, providing 75x REAL magnifications - resolution of 0.9 micron - to see bacteria, cells, protozoans…

DIPLE BLACK, providing 150x REAL magnifications - resolution of 0,7/0,8 micron - to see cell details, bacteria…

These values must then be multiplied by the digital zoom of your device, allowing for magnification of even more than 1000x (without pixelation) and the ability to see details of less than 1 micron (1/1000 mm) in size.

How DIPLE works

DIPLE is a compact and portable box containing lenses, a light source, a stage for samples/microscope and accessories.

It’s straightforward to use, just lay your phone or tablet over the box, focusing the camera into the lighting hole. With the help of a magnetic guide, the objective lens and light source are automatically placed in the proper position.

SHORT VIDEO OF USE

Stage types

There are two different sample stages for you to pick from:

The standard stage: a simple mechanical support for your samples, where you can shift your slide manually for scanning your sample under the DIPLE lens.

OR

The fine stage: the slide can be shifted by mechanical screws, for a precise search of microscopic targets.

What you can see with DIPLE

There are loads of reasons for using DIPLE, whether you're using it for research, learning, or just to see more of the world! From the observation of microorganisms or cells to mineralogy and materials science, with DIPLE, anyone can observe the microworld in detail and save it directly to your phone, in high definition.

Here are some ideas for what you could use it for:

1. See your own blood cells 

Take a tiny drop of blood and smear it on a plain glass slide. You should see only a light pink shadow. Cover it with a thin transparent plastic foil. Observe it like a standard prepared slide. You should process these cells with staining and fixing steps to get them to stay on the glass for a long time, and keep the red color. However, you are able to see the fresh cells for some minutes after their deposition even without more complex procedures.

2. Micro-organisms

Collect some moss, keeping its roots in tact and with the dirt on, and place the sample in a small container, with a little water. Let it rest in the water for 1-2 days, in a warm climate. Take a drop of dirty water from the moss and put it on a glass slide. Take your 35x objective (in some cases also 75x will work fine) and lay it on the water. The objective can work in immersion, i.e. in direct contact with the water, or you can lay a plastic foil upon the liquid sample to keep it thin. Scan the sample under the objective, until you see some micro-organisms moving around, then you can zoom in to watch them in detail. When you've finished your observations, clean the objective lens with a wet tissue.

 

3. Bacteria

Create your own colony of bacteria by placing a mixture of nutrients (the most common is agar agar, usually mixed with meat broth) in a petri dish. Then, you can help the colonies grow by swabbing a place rich in bacteria like your mouth, your hands, or a handful of dirt and then swabbing the bacteria on the petri dish together with the nutrients. After doing this, you need to close the dish to avoid contamination and put it in a warm, safe place. After a few days (or, in some cases, even a few hours), you will get a nice collection of bacteria colonies, ready to be observed in detail.

 Actual magnification 

Most low-budget microscopes declare false or exaggerated magnifications; see this comparison between DIPLE Red, the version which provides the lower magnification (35x REAL magnifications, multiplied by digital zoom) and a standard USB microscope (with maximum declared magnification 1000x, according to the manufacturer). In this video the two microscopes examine the same prepared slide, a botanical section. You will notice that there is a huge difference in detail, quality of the image, and definition.

HOW to use DIPLE - set up in SECONDS

In this short video tutorial we show how to use DIPLE, with Standard Stage:

Timeline

•  2018 - The first, rough DIPLE prototype was created
•  first months of 2019 - The first complete prototypes are finished and sent to beta-testers
•  Fall 2019 - Based on the feedback from beta-testers, a first fully-functional version of DIPLE is ready to be presented to the global market through our Kickstarter/Indiegogo campaigns!
•  March 2020 - DIPLE’s manufacturing phase begins
• September 2020 - First batches of DIPLE shipped worldwide!
• 2021-2024 - Continuous improvements, in design, materials and technical features

Batch of DIPLE kits ready to ship after the crowdfunding campaign

Our journey so far

Following the launch of Blips, the SMO team wanted to push the magnification on mobile devices to an even higher level. So, we have worked on the development of a completely different system, based on a new, patented design.

The Team

SmartMicroOptics S.r.l. (SMO) is a startup of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). Founded in 2016, the company has made a breakthrough in the field of mobile microscopy thanks to its brand new technologies. The team has its headquarters in Italy; SMO-US corp., subsidiary of Smartmicrooptics in the US, ensure easy and cost effective import procedures into the US market.

ALL PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF THE MICRO-WORLD ON THIS CAMPAIGN WERE TAKEN WITH DIPLE LENSES AND COMMON SMARTPHONES