Researchers patent a device to prevent eye infections when using microscopes

It is a simple, cheap and portable individual eye protection system for research, teaching, health and industry.

ALICANTE, 18 Apr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

A team from the Institute of Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH), has developed an individual protection device against eye infections caused by the shared use of microscopes.

It is a cylindrical system that can be attached to the microscope eyepiece that allows the samples to be observed without image distortion through a transparent sheet. It is portable, cleanable and adapts to any type of microscope.

In addition, its production is "simple" and "cheap", which has given rise to a patent licensed for the most part by the CSIC, as reported by the entity in a statement, in which it stresses that a recent study found 1,700 bacteria per square centimeter in the eyepiece lenses of ten university laboratory microscopes, some of which may be "potentially pathogenic" to users' eyes.

The system has been developed by the team of technical personnel from the microscopy unit (Image Service) together with the electronic workshop for scientific innovation (Share) of the Institute of Neurosciences of Alicante, one of the few research centers that has been renewed three times the Severo Ochoa accreditation of excellence. The team that has developed the device is made up of Víctor Javier Rodríguez, Verona Villar and Giovanna Expósito.

The device created by the IN technical team consists of a cylindrical system that can be attached to the eyepiece of the microscope, which allows the samples to be observed without image distortion through a transparent sheet. After using the microscope, the device can be easily carried in a pocket and reused in future sessions, since it can be cleaned and disinfected, thus reducing the generation of waste. In case of deterioration, either the sheet or the entire device can be replaced.

"The low technological requirement of the invention ensures a low production cost, and it can also be adapted to any existing eyepiece model on the market", the developers explain in the promotional file for the device. Among the advantages of the system, it stands out that it completely eliminates the risk of transmission of eye infections in shared-use microscopes, reducing health risks in laboratories.

In addition, it reduces the wear of the microscope eyepieces by protecting them and avoiding continuous disinfection of them. Its production is cheap and easily scalable, without the need for large investments for its industrialization.

The structure of the prototype is formed by a material composed of polylactic acid and an additive of copper nanoparticles with antibacterial action. This also has a thin transparent sheet of extruded polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), a more resistant and flexible material than glass, which does not introduce distortion to the image.

The device can be manufactured in various materials (cardboard, aluminum, etc.), although the use of antibacterial and biodegradable plastic materials is most recommended.

According to those responsible for the invention, "there is currently no eye protection system on the market that allows safe sharing of microscopes, resorting in many cases to rudimentary, uncomfortable or unreliable solutions". In addition, "there are many settings where microscopy equipment is used and shared, including education, public and private research, industry, and medicine, among others."

The device is protected by an international patent application whose ownership is held for the most part by the CSIC, with the UMH also participating in it as they are the two institutions that make up the Institute of Neurosciences.