The smallest periscope in the world

2009/03/05 Kortabitarte Egiguren, Irati - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Fisika

Scientists at Vanderbilt University have invented the smallest periscope in the world to simultaneously observe cells and other microorganisms. In general, with conventional laboratory microscopes, cells can be seen on the one hand, above. Now, in addition to seeing the top of the cells, you can see their sides.

Researchers have called “reflective pyramid hole”. It is a piramidal hole or cavity molded with silicon, whose surface is occupied by a reflective coating of gold or platinum. It is very small, microscopic, the size of a human hair, and can be made in different sizes to observe objects of different sizes.

This technology allows visualizing microscopic objects in three dimensions, without great costs and more easily than with other methods. This technology has been used for the first time to visualize 3D images of microorganisms.

In the image you can see the fluorescent image of a grain of sunflower pollen made with a “reflective pyramidal hole”.

Image courtesy of: Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education