ioLight, a British startup, has announced the launch of the first professional-quality hi-res pocket digital microscope.

The ioLight microscope fits in a jacket pocket and the company says it is both simple to use and robust. It unfolds to record and share 5MP still images and real time HD video at a magnification of x200 on an iPad Air. The resolution is 1 micron or 1/1,000 mm, powerful enough to see the structure of plant and animal cells.

The microscope uses standard microscope slides and has adjustable top and bottom illumination for use on both biological and opaque samples.

Iolight says it is particularly good for live samples which deteriorate on the journey back to the lab, and it works anywhere, even without a WiFi or mobile phone network.

Andrew Monk, who founded ioLight with business partner Richard Williams, said: "It takes just a couple of minutes to get a great image on the microscope, anywhere from a river bank to a factory floor. This makes microscopy simpler for everyone, from experienced professionals to student scientists."

The ioLight microscope can be ordered now from www.iolight.co.uk, priced at £840 including VAT.

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