Slide Scanners

Development of a compact, automated slide scanning system has been the focus for about three years while working at the startup - SigTuple Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Several versions of a slide scanning device were developed, starting from crude prototypes to well refined product. A few examples are depicted below:

The first digital scanner was a modified microscope, where a smartphone acted as the image capture, analysis, cloud upload and stage movement commanding device. The stage XYZ movement was automated by designing a small PCB which received Bluetooth commands from the smartphone and drove 3 stepper motors connected to microscope knobs.

The second version was a well enclosed device, where a separate user interface tablet was given and all the moving components and dust sensitive components were isolated from the environment and the user. The device still used several proprietary and fast-obsolete components (like the smartphone), hence further versions were iterated.

The final variant had all components which were global standards and available from several good quality manufacturers, had large expected lifetime and we designed good aesthetics for the device to improve usability and user experience. The device also passed all the electrical and mechanical safety tests under the CE marking directive.