CTIRF: Miniaturized Fluorescent Adapter for Fluorescent Sputum Smear Microscopy

The study team has developed novel patented (2673/DEL/2015) planar wavelength-based illumination technology called cTIRF (compact Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence); to convert the existing simple bright-field microscope and fluorescent microscope to the total internal reflection fluorescence without any hassle of optical filters, lens installation, and expensive. The module is highly compact (approximately the size of a calculator), robust, cost-effective and allows rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis without added infrastructure cost and training. In the current proposal, study team has proposed to characterize the cTIRF device with 1000 clinical samples for sensitivity and specificity study. In this phase, 5-10 cTIRF devices will be fabricated and deployed in the select healthcare centers for multicenter independent clinical evaluation.