Friday 8th of July 9:00 - 12:00
OpenFlexure workshop
Friday 8th of July 13:20 OpenFlexure
3D printing and the open-source community have made high performance hardware more accessible than ever. Rather than being limited by budget, warranties and supply chains, users now have unprecedented access to high performance equipment that can be customised and used at a fraction of proprietary prices.
We present the OpenFlexure Microscope as a project increasing the accessibility of lab-grade, modifiable hardware. Costing less than €200 in parts, the OFM is an automated microscope that has been used in classrooms, research labs and health clinics. Users are encouraged to modify and use the 3D printed plastic stage, allowing total control over the physical design and controlling software of their experiments.
The OpenFlexure project aims to make high precision mechanical positioning available to anyone with a 3D printer - for use in microscopes, micromanipulators, and more. It has been funded so far through several research grants, and most of the core development team are based at the University of Bath and the University of Cambridge.
Our biggest priority at the moment is a collaborative project between the Universities of Bath and Cambridge (UK), Ifakara Health Institute (Bagamoyo, Tanzania), and Bongo Tech & Research Labs (Bagamoyo, Tanzania). This aims to develop the microscope as a tool for malaria diagnostics, and has now run for nearly four years. All the microscopes used in the clinical study have been produced in Tanzania by BTech, and we have amassed a large dataset of blood smear images. We are working with BTech towards the eventual goal of certification, for manufacturing microscopes for medical use in Tanzania. This GCRF-funded project informs our development priorities at the moment.
There’s now a vibrant community using and developing the microscope, spanning continents, disciplines and sectors. The forum is our hub and is the best place to find many of the people and groups who are involved.
We are always keen to form new collaborations with people and organisations interested in using and/or contributing to the project. The best place to introduce yourself is through the forum. Discussions of a more sensitive or confidential nature are best left to an email, but please bear with us as it can take a while to get to the bottom of the inbox!
Find out more about OpenFlexure
