Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32499936›Full record

ArticleBiomedical optics express2020

Robotic microscopy for everyone: the OpenFlexure microscope.

Joel T Collins, Joe Knapper, Julian Stirling, Joram Mduda, Catherine Mkindi, Valeriana Mayagaya, Grace A Mwakajinga, Paul T Nyakyi, Valerian L Sanga, Dave Carbery and 8 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Biomedical optics express, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
63citing papers in PubMed
22.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

63 citing papers in PubMed, 171 citations in OpenAlex.

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3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Joel T CollinsCentre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9382-7511
Joe KnapperCentre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5519-1700
Julian StirlingCentre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8270-9237
Joram MdudaIfakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Catherine MkindiIfakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Valeriana MayagayaIfakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Grace A MwakajingaSTICLab, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Paul T NyakyiSTICLab, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Valerian L SangaSTICLab, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Dave CarberyDepartment of Chemistry, University of Bath, UK.
Leah WhiteDepartment of Chemistry, University of Bath, UK.
Sara DaleCentre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Physics, University of Bath, UK.
Zhen Jieh LimCentre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Physics, University of Bath, UK.
Jeremy J BaumbergNanophotonics Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK.
Pietro CicutaCavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK.
Samuel McDermottCavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK.
Boyko VodenicharskiCavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK.
Richard BowmanCentre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1531-8199
University of Bath · GBUniversity of Cambridge · GBIfakara Health Institute · TZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Optical microscopes are an essential tool for both the detection of disease in clinics, and for scientific analysis. However, in much of the world access to high-performance microscopy is limited by both the upfront cost and maintenance cost of the equipment. Here we present an open-source, 3D-printed, and fully-automated laboratory microscope, with motorised sample positioning and focus control. The microscope is highly customisable, with a number of options readily available including trans- and epi- illumination, polarisation contrast imaging, and epi-florescence imaging. The OpenFlexure microscope has been designed to enable low-volume manufacturing and maintenance by local personnel, vastly increasing accessibility. We have produced over 100 microscopes in Tanzania and Kenya for educational, scientific, and clinical applications, demonstrating that local manufacturing can be a viable alternative to international supply chains that can often be costly, slow, and unreliable.

Identifiers

PMID32499936
PMCPMC7249832
OpenAlexW3012392814

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.