The $15 lens that turns a smartphone camera into a MICROSCOPE

A graduate from Washington has designed a simple yet revolutionary camera lens that can be fitted to a smartphone camera and used to zoom to microscopic levels.

The six millimetre Micro Phone Lens has a magnifying range of between 15x and 60x - by comparison a high-end smartphone camera comes with around 10x zoom.

It is made of silicone that is capable of sticking to a smartphone camera lens without any extra adhesive and costs just $15 (£9).

All photos taken can be edited and shared in the same way as normal photos using the phone's built-in gallery and editor.

-> MICRO PHONE SPECIFICATIONS

1) Base magnification: 15x

2) Maximum magnification: 60x with phone zoom

3) Minimum recommended camera: 5 Megapixels

4) Product diameter: 1/4'" (6 mm)

5) Material: Platinum catalysed silicone

6) Optically identical to glass

7) Soft lens that can't be scratched

Self-adheres to almost any mobile phone or tablet camera

9) Reusable and can be washed with soap and water

The lenses are made of a patent pending technology called platinum catalysed silicone.

It is a sticky material that can be washed using soap and water, without damaging its adhesive qualities.