Home Sign Up!

Explore Community Submit

All Art Craft Food Games Green Home Kids Life Music Offbeat Outdoors Pets Ride Science Sports Tech

Make a Simple, Lensless USB Microscope for under $15

by ELECTROfun on September 14, 2008

Table of Contents

intro: Make a Simple, Lensless USB Microscope for under $15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: What you need??? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: STEPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: RESULT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Make Magazine Special Offer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_make_a_USB_Microscope_for_under_15/
intro: Make a Simple, Lensless USB Microscope for under $15
note : this is my first instructable so I'm sorry if things are a little messed up

Here I'm Gonna teach you how to make a simple USB Microscope for under $15

Image Notes
1. the sensitive glass CCD(Charged coupled Device)

Image Notes Image Notes

1. Lens 1. this is an eye cream seen with the microscope

step 1: What you need???

1.any kind of Webcam, I used Labtec

2.something to test the Microscope(I used Eye cream but you can use whatever you want you)

http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_make_a_USB_Microscope_for_under_15/
step 2: STEPS
Step 1. remove all the screws from the webcam

now you should see the circuit board and the lens

step2. remove all the screws on the back of the board that holds the Lens

now you should be able to see the sensitive glass CCD (Charged Coupled Device)

step3. put some Eye Cream on the CCD glass (Just a little bit )and gently rub it with a cotton all so it covers all the surface area.

step4. Plug In the USB Cable to Your Computer and Run the program for the webcam

Image Notes
1. screw
2. screws that hold the lens
3. screw
4. screw

Image Notes
1. Lens

http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_make_a_USB_Microscope_for_under_15/
 Image Notes
1. the sensitive glass CCD(Charged coupled Device)

step 3: RESULT
now you should see The result

It's pretty nice and now you can record what you see

*CAUTION:Do not put water on the CCD glass Because it might fall into the board and burn it.

Have Fun and Enjoy

Image Notes
1. this is an eye cream seen with the microscope

Related Instructables

http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_make_a_USB_Microscope_for_under_15/
Advertisements
Make Magazine Special Offer

Comments
7 comments Add Comment

radar2609 says: Apr 6, 2009. 12:03 AM REPLY

Hey, this is awesome. I'm a coin collector and sometimes it's hard to see the mint marks. I'm gonna build this and let it project the mint marks on my
computer. great job!

ebidk says: Feb 11, 2009. 5:23 PM REPLY

You could also attempt to make something like http://hackaday.com/2008/12/20/hacked-cell-phone-blood-analyzer/ :)

Scammah says: Sep 17, 2008. 8:45 PM REPLY

Damn I am no longer excite

offlogic says: Sep 17, 2008. 7:48 PM REPLY

ELECTROfun-

The proper response is "Byte me, you butt-munchers!"to them like curtisbeef, rivetgeek, etlerd and all the other (non-productive) farquads who could
contribute something' (just maybe?), rather than just be biomASSES that are good for nothing at all (collaboratively speaking).

You have made your first Instructable, Electro.

Pay no mind to the idlers, dwarves and jack-offs.
They all suck.

rivetgeek says: Sep 16, 2008. 1:09 PM REPLY

This seems like a great way to ruin a webcam. How is this a microscope? What sort of magnification are you getting out of it? How would you get the
substance off the lens?

etlerd says: Sep 16, 2008. 11:02 AM REPLY

Is this useful for seeing things other than things smeared on the CCD which you can never really wash off for fear of destroying your "microscope?"

ELECTROfun says: Sep 16, 2008. 11:59 AM REPLY

yes it is

http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_make_a_USB_Microscope_for_under_15/