Color sub-pixel resolving optofluidic microscope and its application to blood cell imaging for malaria diagnosis

We report on the implementation of color sub-pixel resolving optofluidic microscope (SROFM), a high resolution (HR) on-chip imaging system for diagnostic applications in rural regions. With the combination of microfluidics and inexpensive complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, we demonstrate optical resolution of 0.66 µm at the highest acuity. We applied the prototypes to perform color imaging of red blood cells (RBCs) infected with Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), a particularly harmful type of malaria parasites and one of the major causes of death in the developing world.