Duke Kunshan University and Landing Med collaborate on next-generation portable microscope

By DKU Staff

In May 2020, a research team led by Changcheng Zheng, associate professor of physics at Duke Kunshan University, and Wuhan Landing Medical Science Hi-Tech Co. Ltd. (Landing Med) began working together on a project to optimize the optical functions of Landing Med’s original portable microscope. Their collaboration led to the development of a next-generation portable microscope prototype featuring higher optical resolution and a more easily transportable communication module that has potential for industrial application and mass production.


From left to right: Kechao Lu, Annie Lee and Yinan Zhao

Three undergraduates at Duke Kunshan University — Annie Lee, a senior majoring in biophysics; Yinan Zhao, a junior majoring in materials physics; and sophomore Kechao Lu — and four part-time research assistants worked on the project under the guidance of Zheng. They worked with Landing Med, a world leader in using deep learning AI cloud computing for cervical cancer screening.

After many design tweaks the team developed a portable microscope prototype less than 3 by 3 by 9.5 cubic centimeters in size, with optical magnification of 10 and a field of view range of 2.5 by 3.5 square millimeters.

The aim of the project was to address Landing Med’s practical needs by developing an easily portable microscope system with high optical resolution that could work with mobile phones and other communication devices to observe tissue cells and automatically scan, group, and upload images to cloud storage, enabling basic diagnosis and feedback through the cloud platform.

“The scanning and imaging quality of the improved portable microscope meets the demand for examining cervical tissue cells,” said Dehua Cao, research and development manager at Landing Med.

“By scanning images, uploading data and remote consultation through the lab terminal, professionals provide quicker diagnosis based on clinical samples from primary healthcare providers.

“Many thanks to professor Zheng’s team at Duke Kunshan University, whose findings on this collaborative research project will help Landing Med further lead in deep learning AI cloud-based cervical cancer screening.”

The project microscope has the potential for industrial application and mass production in Kunshan, according to Zheng.

“The partnership with Landing Med gives full play to the advantages of university-industry collaboration, which is conducive to the transformation and industrial application of research results,” he said. “The joint project has worked well, providing a solid foundation for the industrial application of its findings.”

The collaboration also provided valuable field research opportunities for students, who gained practice using Zemax, an optical design software, and studied lens materials and parameters, learned about the features of charge-coupled device cameras, and worked on design.

“During the research, professor Zheng not only provided strong support and guidance, but also gave us freedom to explore this field,” said Zhao. “We experimented a lot, including disassembling some portable microscopes to explore their internal structure and design principles. I have deepened my understanding of optical design, and improved my hands-on and problem-solving skills, which I believe will help my Signature Work greatly.”

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Senior Editor/Writer

Gareth McPherson

Email: gareth.mcpherson@dukekunshan.edu.cn

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