MUSEUM ADDS MICROSCOPE PEN TO HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
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The National Museum of Health and Medicine has received a heavy-duty, lightweight, portable, pocket-sized microscope called The Microscope Pen to add to its microscope collection, which is the world's largest and most representative in tracing the development of the basic tool of the bioscientist over the last 400 years. The artifact will be part of the museum's more than 12,000 objects in its historical collections.

A 2-ounce, 5 and-a-half-inch long microscope with magnifying power up to 100 times, it has a clip so it can be kept in a pocket like a pen. An adjuster ring is used to focus on a specimen in variety of applications. Protective covers prevent dust and fingerprints from getting on the lenses when not in use.

The manufacturer, MicroscopePen, is located in the Silicon Valley area of California. The suggested retail price is $89.99.

"For a change this is an interesting gadget that does not need batteries," reported Future Technology News in July 2003. "You don't have to be working as a forensic expert on CSI to appreciate this lightweight microscope."

A reviewer for ExtensionTech.net added, "This is not a toy. This is a great tool, for even perhaps a niche market…My point is, this is a serious tool, and I have treated it as such. It works great once you know how to use it properly...As far as I know, this is the only truly portable microscope on the market. If you need a portable microscope, where a magnifying lens just won't do, you need one of these then."

The museum's microscope collection was started by U.S. Army Lt. Col. John S. Billings, the museum's curator from 1883 to 1893. He supervised the purchase of 17 microscopes in October 1884, followed by eight very rare microscopes in 1886, and three early Italian models in 1887. By 1888, more than 140 had been purchased and these efforts inspired many American collectors to contribute to the growing museum collection. Billings continued to assist in growing the collection until his death in 1913. The museum has a permanent exhibition, "Evolution of the Microscope," that includes the 17th-century, handcrafted, leather and gold-tooled microscope used by Robert Hooke in the preparation of "Micrographia," one of the first books ever written about observations made through a microscope. For exhibit information, visit the museum's website at www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum.

The historical collection at the museum documents changes in medical technology since the early 17th century and includes objects ranging in size from a suture needle to a two-ton MRI magnet, such as X-ray equipment, microscopes, surgical instruments, numismatics, and anatomical models.