Working on an Incubator to Image Cancer Cells: Development of a Custom 3D-Printed Imaging Incubator for Refractive Index-Based Cell Classification

Brigham Young University Engineering Building, Provo, UT

This project aims to develop a compact, 3D-printed incubation chamber for live-cell imaging using Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI), a technique that can distinguish cancerous cells from healthy ones based on refractive index. The chamber was designed in OnShape and built using FDM 3D printing, offering rapid prototyping, customizability, and cost efficiency.

While print failures and material limitations present challenges, the current design provides a stable, optically clear environment compatible with digital holography. The system is intended for 24–48 hour imaging experiments, with future work focusing on capturing differences in refractive index between healthy and cancerous cells.

This approach could support low-resource diagnostics and space-based biomedical research, where compact, label-free systems are ideal. Though results are forthcoming, early tests show promise for continued development and eventual clinical or aerospace application.