3D printed miniature attenuated total internal reflection assisted fluorescence microscopy

Imaging and sensing technologies are crucial in various fields, encompassing applications in cell and tissue analysis, DNA and RNA characterization, food and drug composition analysis, and forensic science. Instead of using complex and heavy conventional instruments to perform these analyses, lightweight, portable, and field-ready instruments have recently become commercially available. In this study, a miniature attenuated total internal reflectance fluorescence (mini-ATIRF) microscope has been demonstrated using a 3D printer. By utilizing evanescent field illumination and surface plasmon-coupled emission, the proposed mini-ATIRF microscope not only delivers fluorescence images four times brighter but also weighs 73% less than conventional fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, the manufacturing cost of the equipment is more than 95% cheaper. © The Author(s) 2025.