Low-cost 3D-printed optics for super-resolution multifocal structured illumination microscopy.

ABSTRACT: We present a low-cost 3D-printing method of fabricating optical quality lenslet arrays for integration in a multifocal structured illumination microscope (mSIM), achieving super-resolution fluorescence imaging using 3D-printed optics for the first time. We detail the design and manufacturing processes to produce high-quality 3D-printed optics, showing their comparable surface roughness of 30 ± 2.5 nm for the 3D-printed elements compared to 37 ± 1.4 nm for commercial glass optics. A 3D-printed lenslet array with a 'honeycomb' geometry and 1.2 mm lenslet diameter was compared to a high-end glass commercial lenslet array with 250 µm lenslet diameter and a lower cost commercial lenslet array with a 1 mm by 1.4 mm lenslet footprint. The imaging performance of the different optics was benchmarke

SUBMITTER: Christopher J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12904558 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature