3D Printed Head for a Handheld Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope

Abstract

The laser scanning confocal microscope head can axially move and perform z-slicing. The presented confocal microscope head is composed of (1) an optical fiber bundle, (2) a custom-designed mechanical housing and lastly, (3) an embedded electronic system to control the head and gather images from the samples. The dimensions of the housing are 88 x 160 x 110 mm; and it is 3D printed with 30% filling ratio using standard PLA 3D printing material. The presented handheld confocal microscope is capable of moving with 1 mu m step size back and forth in axial direction and has a dynamic range of 2 cm. The results show that cost-effective 3D printing methods are suitable for realizing a handheld confocal microscope with an axial movement feature. Using cheap and replaceable 3D printed parts can ease the cleaning and disinfection procedures in clinical practices.