Simple, but powerful
Why can our microscope achieve a high resolution cost-effectively?
Traditional optical microscopes rely entirely on high-precision lenses to magnify details all the way to the resolution limit of the human eye—about 26µm. In contrast, digital microscopes work differently. The lenses only need to magnify the image enough for the CMOS sensor—not the human eye—to resolve fine details. The CMOS sensor can capture features smaller than 3µm, meaning it requires less optical magnification but still reveals more microscopic detail.
Once the image hits the sensor, light is converted into an electronic signal, processed by a compact chip, and streamed directly to the screen. This digital approach reduces complexity, lowers cost, and still keeps a high-level image quality.
Our resolution: <1µm
Most people associate microscope performance with magnification. But magnification alone can be misleading, especially in digital microscopes. Without sufficient resolution, increasing magnification only results in a larger, blurrier image. This phenomenon is known as empty magnification: the image appears bigger, but no new detail is revealed.
What truly matters is resolution—the ability to distinguish fine details that are close together. To evaluate this, we use the USAF 1951 resolution test chart, a standard tool featuring groups of fine lines at varying distances.
In the lower right corner of the chart image is Group 7, Element 6, where the space between lines is 2.2 µm. If a microscope can clearly resolve these lines, it can distinguish details at least as small as 2.2 µm. (For reference, the diameter of human red blood cells is 7-8µm.)