UCLA creates portable microscope that uses holograms, not lenses

Instead of lugging a heavy microscope into the field, doctors and nurses in remote regions may have a more portable choice - a lightweight microscope that replaces lenses with holograms. Researchers at UCLA announced a prototype dual-mode microscope that's lightweight, costs between $50 and $100 to produce and is similar in size to a banana. Like a hologram that uses interfering rays to create an image, this device shines light on a sample where its sensor chip (apparently also found in iPhones and BlackBerrys) and a cloud-based software program analyze the interference pattern and reconstruct an image of the sample.

Engadget, UCLA creates portable microscope that uses holograms, not lenses