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Poseidon: Open Source Syringe Pump and Microscope System

By on February 13, 2019
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Developed by students at the California Institute of Technology, Poseidon is an open source alternative to commercial syringe pump and microscope system.

The Poseidon microscope consists of a Raspberry Pi, touch screen module, and commercially available digital microscope housed in a 3D printed stage. This device offers a large and clear view of the object under the microscope, and by itself makes an excellent educational tool.

But when running the provided Python software, it doubles as a controller for the syringe pumps which make up the other half of the Poseidon system. Controlled by an Arduino and CNC shield, these pumps are able to deliver extremely precise amounts of liquid which is critical for operations such as Single-cell RNA sequencing.

This device uses a trio of stepper motors to push liquid out of syringes at a flow rate that you dictate via a graphical user interface. Of course the number of stepper motors can be higher or lower depending on what kind of experimental setup is needed.

The system is not only much cheaper than commercial offerings, but is free from the draconian modification and usage restrictions that such hardware often comes with.
It costs less than $400 and can be assembled in under an hour using the instructions and source files available at Github product page.



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