How to Make a USB Microscope
A USB microscope is simple tool if you want to watch organisms growing in a culture or a slide while overcoming the inconvenience of continuously looking down the microscope. This can be done by connecting the microscope to your computer via the USB port. The image on the lens of the microscope is beamed in real-time to your computer screen. This nifty combination can save you the cost of buying a dedicated electronic microscope and you can make a USB microscope yourself.
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Things You'll Need
- Webcam
- Screwdriver
- Cardboard tubing
- Hacksaw
- Adhesive tape
- Microscope
- Hotglue gun
Instructions
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1
Remove the back of the webcam with a screwdriver. Take out the eyepiece and take off the lens array attached it. Remove the camera sensor along with its circuit board.
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2
Cut a tubing of hard cardboard 1cm from one of its open end with a hacksaw. The tubing in a tinfoil pack will suffice.
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3
Fit the eyepiece in one open end of the cut tubing of cardboard. Place the circuit board over the other end of the tubing. Position the sensor on the circuit board to be directly over the open end. Hold the board in place with adhesive tape. Pack the inside of the tubing with tape around the eyepiece to create a tight fit.
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4
Mount the tubing over the eyepiece of the microscope. Connect to your computer through the USB cable attached to the circuit board.
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5
Adjust the tubing up and down the neck of the microscope until you see a bright spot on your computer screen which signifies the focal length. Mark the position of the tubing with a pencil before taking it off the microscope. Correct the length and diameter of the tubing as needed by hacking off or packing with more tape.
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6
Glue the tubing over the sensor on the circuit board in place with a hotglue gun. Re-mount the tubing on the microscope.
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