Detection of trichomonal vaginalis through lensless optofluidic microscopy

Trichomoniasis is one of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection caused by a parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Currently, there is no timely, cost-efficient diagnostic test exist for Trichomoniasis. We present a lensless optofluidic imaging technique for label-free point-of-care detection of motile parasites in bodily fluids. With this setup we are able to achieve a FOV of ~2 mm2 at a frame rate of 30 fps and can see ~200 μl of sample in one image. Trichomonas vaginalis is identifiable through simple morphological features. Contrary to common practice of minimizing the distance between the sample and the sensor to maximize the resolution, we demonstrated that a greater distance is more advantageous by using the parasites natural ability to focus light as a contrast mechanism. This technique uses a low-cost high frame rate CMOS detector, which enables high throughput operation with requires minimal sample preparation, making it a promising solution to the rapid diagnosis of Trichomoniasis.