Microscopy, especially the kind that uses specialised imaging techniques, is commonly an expensive endeavour, making its accessibility problematic. This motivates the development of an open-source microscope that incorporates open-source technologies like Arduino, 3D printing, and Raspberry Pi to reduce this cost and barrier to entry while contributing to the open-source community. To achieve this, an existing open-source microscope design (the OpenFlexure Delta stage[1]) was modified to suit an open-source Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) platform.
The Creative Technology design cycle[2] was used to guide the design and evaluate with an end user. Implemented modifications include an adjustable microscope arm, a lighting system, and a removable dome for the implementation of RTI. Additionally, the Delta stage was printed at 128% scale, validating the original design when printed at larger scales.