MUET students invent portable microscope to detect germs in water

KARACHI: Pakistan is a country where about 80pc of the population is consuming contaminated drinking water which is resulting in several chronic diseases, sensing the importance of the issue, the students of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) have invested a portable microscope to identify the presence of germs in the water.

While talking to the ARY News programme Bakhabar Savera, Hamza Bhutto and Muhamamd Namdaar Zahid said they have invented a micro telescope by using 3D print. The size of the microscope is almost equal to the size of the hand palm and can be easily carried out in a pocket.

Normally in laboratories, there are compound microscopes that are hard to use and that is the reason they have invented the portable microscope smaller in size to create ease for people.

The MUET students said they are trying to make data sets to identify the numbers of bacteria in the water by segmenting them into green, yellow and red zones.

About the working of the microscope, Hamza Bhutto said, they have used lense same as being used in a compound microscope for accurate results.

About the working of the microscope, Hamza said the slide will be inserted into the portable device and it will detect the presence of germs in the water through a mobile app, exclusively designed for the device.

Replying to a question, the students said the device is not available in the market yet as they have been using this as a prototype device.

The students said they can produce such microscopes if they are supported by the government as currently, they have developed this device using the university’s resources.

Hazma and Namdar said the device can be very handy in far-flung areas of Sindh, where there is a shortage of laboratories and difficult to move compound microscopes.