There are two versions custom-fitted to the iPhone 5S, one 350x and the other a whopping 1000x. For other devices, grab the multi-platform files. You’re limited to 100x and 350x magnification, but there’s an additional file that adds a slideholder to the clip.
Like the cardboard Foldscope, keeping cost to a minimum was a must for the PNNL.
They wanted to produce something that could be discarded, if, for example, it became contaminated during use in the field by a first responder. They also liked the idea of something that would put more science gear into schools without busting budgets.The finished product costs well under a dollar to produce: it’s just a wee bit of filament (roughly $1 per ounce) and a single glass sphere (approximately $0.0015 each). Even if you have to buy the glass spheres in bulk, you’re only looking at about $19 for more than 12,000 of them.
Got a 3D printer at home? Why not whip up a few for your local grade school? It won’t cost you much, and extra STEM gear is always appreciated in cash-strapped classrooms.