Low-cost, high-throughput quantitative phase microscopy

Project Information

LOCOSCOPE

Grant agreement ID: 101101072

DOI

10.3030/101101072

Project closed

EC signature date 6 December 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 30 June 2024

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 150 000,00

Coordinated by

DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LOCOSCOPE (Low-cost, high-throughput quantitative phase microscopy)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

High-content screening is rapidly gaining traction across the biological sciences as a means to acquire more detailed data and test more hypotheses in an unprecedentedly rapid and systematic manner. However, a key issue identified by its users is that the instrumentation costs are too high, with systems typically costing from €150.000-800.000. This limits ownership of the instruments to well-funded research labs and, in doing so, excludes a significant portion of the multi- billion USD potential market. This project aimed to target this unserved lower end of the market with a competitive high-content screening platform costing just €10.000 based on a novel quantitative phase imaging method originally developed for x-ray imaging as part of an ERC Starting Grant. In order to address this aim, the project involved both developing a physical prototype machine that functioned a comparable level to commercial machines, and to use this prototype to thoroughly test the market and develop a robust go-to-market strategy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The technical achievements were as follows:
1) Finalization of the optical design, including selection of optimum camera, lenses, and other optical components.The result is a system with comparable resolution to existing microscopes, while still enabling the unique phase contrast method at the heart of our approach.
2) Mechanical/electronic design of the system, to the extent that it is a compact, fully-sealed, standalone instrument that can function continuously for days, weeks and months (at least). Moreover, the machine can be produced in series of up to ~10 machines / month.
3) Software design of the user interface and control system, such that the machine can be intuitively operated by a non-expert user via its touch-screen interface.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project has resulted in a compact, intuitive, high-throughput screening system at a 5-20 times more attractive price point than systems with competing performance and capabilities. The system is at the point where it can be taken to market, where it has the potential to be the foundation of a sustainable and profitable business. More importantly, however, the system has the potential to make cutting edge life science R&D accessible to a long-neglected portion of researchers, including small research groups, researchers in developing countries, and small busineses, such as R&D-based startups.

The next steps to facilitate bringing the product to market is to create a business around it, including more detailed commercial validation, as well as the development of ancillary products to improve the effectiveness and versatility of the system.