The Primo Star iLED fluorescence microscope from Carl Zeiss detects tuberculosis (TB) pathogens four times faster and with 10% greater sensitivity than traditional brightfield microscopes, while offering a rugged, inexpensive and energy-efficient format. Key to the performance is the integration of an energy saving light-emitting diode (LED) light source with the high-quality Zeiss optics.
Co-developed with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), the Primo Star iLED offers easy switching between fluorescence and brightfield modes, making it suitable for all laboratory and routine applications. The microscope is very sturdy and can be battery-operated for several hours in the event of power failure – a common occurrence in many developing countries where TB is prevalent. With reflected-light fluorescence illumination, the product offers a significantly better signal-to-noise ratio and completely eliminates the risk of glare.
The new microscope was previewed at the 39th World Union Conference on Lung Health in Paris recently. With one person in three already infected with the TB bacterium, and the emergence of multiresistant strains and HIV co-infection, the World health Organization (WHO) estimates that the disease will cause 30 million deaths over the next 10 years.
The Primo Star iLED was developed specifically to help low-resource countries, in particular the public health sector of the 22 high TB-burden countries, and will be supplied to these countries through FIND as part of the company’s commitment to alleviating unnecessary suffering.