Introducing the new and improved Dino-Lite AF7115MZT, a remarkable handheld digital microscope with wi-fi connectivity.This upgraded model offers enhanced optics and a host of features for those seeking high-quality microscopy on-the-go. Let’s delve into its impressive capabilities.
]]>This upgraded model offers enhanced optics and a host of features for those seeking high-quality microscopy on-the-go.
Let’s delve into its impressive capabilities.
Excellent optics
The AF7115MZT represents an impressive upgrade from its predecessor the 1.3MP resolution Dino-Lite AF4115ZT
featuring a substantial increase in sensor resolution from 1.3 megapixels to 5.0 megapixels – allowing you to capture larger images in even greater detail.
Dino-Lite’s superior Edge optics guarantee that no pixel is wasted, with the high optical resolution and improved colour fidelity ensuring that even the most intricate details are clearly defined.
Flexible magnification
The AF7115MZT offers a continuous magnification range – from 20x to 220x. This versatility makes it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications. Whether you’re inspecting electronics, jewellery or industrial components, this model has the magnification you need.
Wi-fi connectivity
Moreover, it features wi-fi connectivity through the optional WF-20 Wi-Fi streamer. Seamlessly connecting to iOS devices, Android phones or Windows PC, it allows you to effortlessly stream hi-res images without the hassle of cables.
Lightweight and portable, the WF-20 provides over 2.5 hours of use on a single charge, making it perfect for fieldwork and inspections. It can even be handily configured as a router to act as a wi-fi access point for your mobile devices.
Adaptable lighting
The AF7115MZT also offers excellent lighting control – clear, evenly lit images regardless of lighting conditions.
Its flexible LED control (FLC) enables 6 different light intensity settings for each quadrant of the LED array, granting you precise control over the illumination environment.
Additionally, an adjustable polarizer is included to minimise glare from reflective surfaces, revealing any hidden details when inspecting metallic objects or circuit boards.
Robust construction
Designed with durability in mind, the AF7115MZT is constructed from anodised aluminium alloy, making it sturdy and capable of withstanding challenging work environments. This alloy also provides added protection against electromagnetic interference.
In short, the AF7115MZT builds on the already impressive specs of its predecessor, offering even greater working flexibility and superior resolution. An excellent choice for any inspection role.
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Measuring cells and microorganisms under a microscope isn’t as simple as whipping out a tape measure. To measure truly microscopic things, you need to install a useful tool known as a reticle or eyepiece micrometre. And to properly calibrate it, you’ll need a special glass microscope slide known as a stage micrometre. Once calibrated, the reticle will allow you to make accurate measurements through your microscope quickly and easily.
]]>You need to install a reticle or eyepiece micrometer tool to measure microscopic things. And to properly calibrate it, you’ll need a special glass microscope slide known as a stage micrometer.
Once calibrated, the reticle will allow you to make accurate measurements through your microscope quickly and easily.
What is a reticle or eyepiece micrometer?
A reticle is simply a transparent glass disc with a ruler-like scale or grid inscribed on it.
Just like a monocle, you insert a reticle into only one of your microscope’s eyepieces.
Once it’s in position, the measurement scale on the reticle will be superimposed on your specimens, just like the crosshair on a rifle.
Reticles come in a variety of different scales, grids, or crosshairs so that you can choose the best measurement style for your needs.
The markings on your reticle don’t come with any units of measurement. Instead, you'll need to figure out the units yourself using a stage micrometre.
What is a stage micrometre?
Not to be mistaken for an eyepiece micrometer, the stage micrometer is a glass slide that has been precisely engraved with an extremely accurate measurement scale.
The increments on the scale are known – often 0.01mm, although there are several options to choose from.
Just like a tiny ruler, the stage micrometer is used as a reference point to determine the real distance represented by the markings on your reticle at each different magnification.
Calibrating your reticle
After installing your reticle, you need to calibrate it using your stage micrometre at each different magnification that your microscope offers.
Calibration is vital to ensuring that your measurements are accurate, not only to adjust for different magnifications but also to account for any imperfections in your microscope's optical system.
The calibration process, which you only need to do once, is fairly straightforward, although it involves some basic math.
The goal is to look through the reticle at the stage micrometer and use the micrometer scale to determine the actual distance represented by each mark on the reticle at the different magnifications.
Once your reticle is calibrated, you’ll have a built-in ruler in your eyepiece, which you can use to measure other specimens (at the same magnification) whenever you want.
A step-by-step guide
Here’s a summary of the process:
If you’re interested in making the most of your microscope, you’ll want to get to grips with the condenser and aperture diaphragm on your scope. These essential components play a critical role in the quality of your images – and you’ll need to understand a little of their nuances to get a sharp, well-contrasted look at your samples.
]]>These essential components play a critical role in the quality of your images – and you’ll need to understand a little of their nuances to get a sharp, well-contrasted look at your samples.
Where can you find your condenser, and what does it do?
The condenser is a lens or series of lenses that usually sits just below the microscope stage. Its role is to focus the light into an even illumination to give a clear and undistorted view of your samples.
The amount of light that passes through the condenser is controlled by the aperture diaphragm.
Where is the aperture diaphragm, and what does it do?
The aperture diaphragm, also known as the iris or iris diaphragm, consists of a circle of interlocking petals or blades that sits within the condenser. It functions a bit like curtains, controlling the amount of light that gets through the condenser.
You can increase or decrease the size of the aperture that the light passes through using a simple lever on the side of the condenser.
Why are they so important?
Together, these elements control the cone of light that reaches your sample.
While it sounds like they simply act as another illuminator control or a glorified dimmer switch, they actually have a massive impact on the quality of your images.
Collectively, they determine resolution, contrast and depth of field. The position of that little lever decides whether you’ll see a washed-out mess or a crisp, detailed specimen.
Adjusting your aperture diaphragm
While the aperture diaphragm is controlled by a simple lever, there’s an art to it.
Closing the diaphragm will increase the contrast and depth of field, but at the expense of resolution and brightness. Opening it up will do the opposite.
You can’t have it all, so it’s about finding the right balance for the specimen at hand. A rule of thumb is to have the diaphragm 50 to 90% open for a good mix of resolution and contrast.
If you’re looking to maximise resolution, match the aperture setting (the numbers below the control lever) to the numerical aperture (NA) value of the objective lens you’re using.
But note that you can’t increase the resolution beyond the NA value, so opening the diaphragm any further won’t give you any additional benefits.
Many novice users are tempted to close the iris and crank up the illuminator setting for a bright, yet highly contrasted image. But hold on a sec!
While it can be helpful, it can also introduce a few optical issues. Dust and debris on the cover slip or optical surfaces can become more visible and obstruct the view, and specimen structures can overlap or become hidden.
Everyone’s preferences and specimens are different, so don’t be afraid to play around with the settings until you find that sweet spot!
]]>The tissue culture microscope is basically a type of inverted microscope. With a regular microscope, the light source is situated underneath the specimen, and the objective lens is above it. But with a tissue culture microscope, it’s the other way around. You still look down through the eyepieces, but the objective lens is located below the sample, and is illuminated from above. This setup allows you to observe the sample from underneath. As cultures tend to flourish or settle at the bottom of containers, like petri dishes, flasks and multi-well plates, this setup is ideal.
]]>The nature of tissue cultivation means that the cells are often best observed from below, which is a problem for regular microscopes. Fortunately, this issue is easily solved with an inverted tissue culture microscope, such as the Nikon Eclipse Ts2.
What is a tissue culture microscope?
The tissue culture microscope is basically a type of inverted microscope.
With a regular microscope, the light source is situated underneath the specimen, and the objective lens is above it. But with a tissue culture microscope, it’s the other way around.
You still look down through the eyepieces, but the objective lens is located below the sample, and is illuminated from above. This setup allows you to observe the sample from underneath. As cultures tend to flourish or settle at the bottom of containers, like petri dishes, flasks and multi-well plates, this setup is ideal.
Advantages
Inverted microscopes offer several advantages over traditional upright microscopes.
Additional features
More advanced tissue culture microscopes, such as the Nikon Ts2, offer a range of additional features to further enhance their capabilities and streamline your workflow.
Here are some examples:
With the right type of tissue culture microscope – properly set up for your specific work routine – you will work quicker, feel more comfortable and greatly increase the quality of images and data generated from your cell cultures.
A precision instrument such as the Nikon Ts2 Inverted Microscope will not only speed up your overall workflow but is virtually guaranteed to enhance the accuracy of your observations.
]]>The McMaster method is generally very easy to use. However, many different variations of the technique have emerged over the years, so you may encounter some minor differences depending on your approach or specific needs. Fortunately, the core methodology remains largely the same so this example will give you a good idea of what to expect.
]]>Originally developed at the University of Sydney in 1939, this new approach used a special microscope slide to count the number of parasite eggs in a given sample of animal faeces quickly and easily.
The sample is mixed with a specific flotation fluid that causes any eggs to float to the top of the lined counting chamber in the McMaster slide, where they can be counted using a faecal worm egg counting microscope.
Here’s a quick guide on how to use and care for a McMaster slide.
How to use a McMaster counting slide
The McMaster method is generally very easy to use.
However, many different variations of the technique have emerged over the years, so you may encounter some minor differences depending on your approach or specific needs.
Fortunately, the core methodology remains largely the same so this example will give you a good idea of what to expect.
What you’ll need
Method
How to care for your McMaster counting slide
McMaster slides are designed to be reused – they’re very easy to clean and maintain.
In many cases, simply rinsing them out thoroughly with warm water is enough.
If the chamber still appears dirty, soak them for a few minutes in warm soapy water, before rinsing them out again.
Allow the slides to air dry.
Also available to purchase with our Faecal Egg Count Kit
]]>The main advantage is that they let multiple people look at the same sample at once through their own eyepieces, so no one has to move around or mess with the settings. This makes it easy to work together and understand what’s going on.
Multi-head microscopes also have a number of other features and benefits.
Simultaneous viewing
How many users can a multi-head microscope accommodate? Well, it varies, depending on the model, ranging from the most common options like two-, three- and five-person microscopes to more extensive ones that can go as high as 26.
Individual adjustments
Each viewer has their own eyepieces, allowing individuals to adjust the image according to their eyesight. This means they can fine-tune the microscope to their specific preferences without affecting the view of others.
Interpupillary distance and diopter can be adjusted, and the head itself also rotates 360 degrees to accommodate any seating arrangements.
Benefits
Timesaving
Multi-head microscopes make learning and working smoother and faster, both in classrooms and workplaces.
There’s no need to swap positions, nor any need to constantly readjust eyepiece settings for each user.
Teaching is made easier, too. There’s only one main microscope that needs to be set up with a sample, so students won’t be struggling with equipment, allowing more time to be devoted to the lesson.
Cost-effective
Multi-head microscopes might seem expensive initially, but they’re much cheaper than buying multiple separate microscopes.
When it comes to providing a high-level learning environment, multi-head microscopes provide a directed, professional learning experience without any need for elaborate setup, while still offering an effective hands-on lesson.
Teaching features
Multi-head models are designed for teaching and communication and are often equipped with extra features.
The most common feature is the addition of an LED pointer attached to the primary microscope. This allows the main user to highlight important areas with a bright LED dot for quick and accurate communication with others.
Convenience
Multi-head microscopes also offer some less obvious benefits, even for solo users.
Multi-head microscopes take collaborative work and teaching to the next level, providing seamless communication and an efficient learning environment. There’s no better option for training, teaching or cooperative research.
]]>Give your child the opportunity to spark their curiosity and make new discoveries with the help of a microscope and a few everyday objects.
Onion
This experiment into the fascinating world of plants might make you shed a tear (literally!).
The humble onion might not look like much, but with a childrens microscope, it transforms into a breathtaking miniature world, revealing the intricate structure and composition of cells.
With a simple preparation, you’ll be able to observe the onion’s cell walls, the cytoplasm, and even the nucleus if you have a cheap stain like methylene blue or iodine solution.
You simply need to peel off a thin layer of an onion and place it on a microscope slide.
What you’ll need
Instructions
To keep the onion from drying out, you’ll need to create a ‘wet mount’ by suspending it in a small amount of water.
This experiment is quick and easy and will give you a glimpse of the amazing beauty of the natural world at the cellular level.
Salt versus sugar
You may think that salt and sugar are just plain white powders, but when you take a closer look under the microscope, you’ll see they are very different!
They are tiny crystals with their own unique shapes and features.
This easy experiment, which you can do using just household items, is a fun way for kids to learn about the hidden qualities of everyday substances. It’s also a great introduction to crystals and minerals.
What you’ll need
Instructions
Now that you’ve seen the difference between salt and sugar under the microscope, you can try exploring other household powders, like spices (or maybe sand). It's always fun to see what secrets they hold!
Money
Do you want to check whether money is real or fake? Well, with a microscope, you can see all the tiny details that your eyes can’t see on their own.
For example, if you look at an Australian banknote through the kids microscope, you will discover amazing things like colourful patterns, small printing and fancy artwork. This is because Australia makes their money extra special so people can't copy it. Let's take a closer look!
What you’ll need
Instructions
Fibre
Have you ever wondered what your clothes look like up close?
Let’s find out by taking a look at some threads from different clothing materials.
You can use threads from any piece of clothing you have such as jeans, T-shirts, blankets or an old jumper. Try to get threads made from different fibres, such as cotton, wool or nylon.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to ruin any clothes. Just grab a couple of threads that are shorter than 2 cm.
What you’ll need
Instructions
Microscope experiments are an exciting and effortless way to ignite children’s curiosity in science and the natural world. Don’t hesitate to discover more experiments or even create your own!
For more Fun microscope experiments for kids refer to our other blog posts:
]]>Brix meters are handy devices used to conveniently measure the dissolved sugar content of a liquid. They’re popular in a variety of fields. Everything from agriculture to metalwork and the food and beverage industries have a need for quick and accurate sugar content readings. Whether you’re a seasoned orchardist, a passionate winemaker or just a home gardener, a pocket-sized Brix meter – like Optico’s handy refractometer – will quickly test the sugar levels in your fruit or crops, allowing you to assess flavour and ripeness and to adjust conditions, if necessary.
]]>They’re popular in a variety of fields. Everything from agriculture to metalwork and the food and beverage industries have a need for quick and accurate sugar content readings.
Whether you’re a seasoned orchardist, a passionate winemaker or just a home gardener, a pocket-sized Brix meter – like Optico’s handy refractometer – will quickly test the sugar levels in your fruit or crops, allowing you to assess flavour and ripeness and to adjust conditions, if necessary.
How does a Brix meter work?
Named after chemist Adolf Brix, it is a surprisingly simple device. It works by shining light through a liquid sample and measuring how much the light has been refracted.
The more sugar present in a sample, the more the light will be refracted, giving you a solid estimate of the sugar levels.
To make the meter work, you simply add a couple of drops of your sample juice to the meter’s prism, close the lid, hold the device up to a light source and look through the lens to read an internal scale. The result will appear within seconds.
Keep in mind that sometimes other dissolved substances in the liquid can influence the results. Knowing roughly what to expect in your sample might help.
Why measure Brix?
Sugar is a big part of flavour and nutrition. Whether you’re growing fruit or brewing beer, a Brix meter can let you know when there’s a problem with taste or quality. Here are some uses for the Brix meter.
Plants and agriculture
When it comes to agriculture and gardens, Brix meters can offer a quick insight into the health and status of your plants and soil.
The sugar content gives you an idea of the quality, flavour and ripeness of any fruits, but it can also indicate if the plants are healthy. Higher Brix readings suggest greater nutritional density, while lower readings suggest that your plants are struggling.
A Brix meter like the Optico refractometer provides a quick and convenient way to assess the condition of your plants, crops and even animal feed, isolating any issues before they can escalate.
Food and drink
Sugar levels are a big deal for food and beverage manufacturers. Sugar directly affects the taste and quality of sweet products, such as soft drinks, syrup, juice or honey.
To maintain the right flavour and consistency of their product lines, manufacturers use Brix meters to monitor the sugar levels for any deviations.
When brewing beer, fermentation can be tracked by monitoring the sugar levels. For home brewers, Brix meters can also be used to measure the specific gravity of the wort. In wine making, a Brix meter is used to test grapes for sweetness and flavour.
Other industries
Brix meters have a wide range of other uses. They can check the saltiness of a pool or fish tank, measure protein in blood, or even test how much water is mixed with coolants or oil.
Features
All Brix meters perform the same core function, but they can have different operational ranges and some handy extra features.
Automatic temperature compensation
Temperature can have a substantial effect on Brix measurements.
If you need consistently accurate readings, you’ll need a Brix meter with automatic temperature compensation (ATC), such as the Optico refractometer.
Without temperature compensation, you’ll have to manually compensate for the difference, which can be time consuming and inconvenient. When it comes to accuracy and convenience, ATC is almost mandatory.
Accuracy
Every Brix meter has a little bit of inaccuracy.
If you just need general results, this might not be a huge issue. But if you want precise numbers, check the accuracy rating on your meter. The Optico refractometer, for example, has an accuracy of +/- 0.2%
Range
Different Brix meters can have a different range of Brix values they can accurately measure. Some are general purpose with a very wide range, while others are highly specialised within a narrow field of values.
Analogue vs digital
There are two basic types of Brix meter – analogue and digital. While they both operate on the same principle of light refraction, they go about it in slightly different ways.
Analogue meters use external light sources, so they don’t require power or batteries. You look down an eyepiece and the results are displayed as a colour difference on a vertical measurement scale.
Digital meters use their own internal light source and display the results on a small screen.
So, if you want to track the progress and improvement of your crop and soil, work on your homebrew or check if your strawberries are truly sweet, you can’t go wrong with the humble Brix meter.
]]>The humble tardigrade – tiny, strangely adorable and practically indestructible. Found almost everywhere on Earth, the microscopic tardigrade – also known as the ‘water bear’ or ‘moss piglet’ – is so unique that all 1300 tardigrade species belong to their own phylum, Tardigrada. With their widespread habitat and fascinating 8-legged appearance, they’re a great specimen for any microscope enthusiast.
]]>Found almost everywhere on Earth, the microscopic tardigrade, also known as the ‘water bear’ or ' moss piglet', is so unique that all 1300 tardigrade species belong to their own phylum, Tardigrada.
Their widespread habitat and fascinating 8-legged appearance make them a great specimen for any microscope enthusiast.
Meet the tardigrade
Tardigrades are minuscule multicellular animals.Often only 0.5mm long, they have barrel-shaped bodies propelled by 8 stubby legs with long hooked ‘claws’ they use to grip onto mosses and lichen.
Despite their small size, their anatomy is more complex than you might expect. They have organs, muscles, eyes and even a brain.
Instead of bones or an exoskeleton, their body is protected by a strong, flexible covering known as a cuticle.
A natural survivor
However, their most interesting quality is their legendary survivability.When things get tough, a tardigrade can go into a special kind of hibernation called cryptobiosis.
This helps them to survive harsh conditions like extreme heat or cold, lack of water, and even exposure to the radiation-filled vacuum of space.When they are in this state, they shut down their metabolic processes and use a variety of novel defence mechanisms to protect themselves from different kinds of hazardous environments.
In a drought, a tardigrade folds itself into a ball or a barrel shape known as a ‘tun’. This helps to reduce any water loss by minimising its surface area. It also covers itself in wax to further prevent any water from escaping through its skin.
Finally, it protects its internal structure and cell membranes by replacing most of the remaining water in the body with a special protein or sugar mix that hardens into a glass-like state and holds everything in place.Similarly, when a tardigrade is faced with freezing temperatures, it can use another special tardigrade-specific protein to form a glass-like matrix around its cells.
This helps to prevent the freezing water from rupturing their cells and causing damage.Low oxygen, high salt, or harmful toxins? No problem.Tardigrades even have a special protein called ‘Dsup’ (short for ‘damage suppressor’) that helps protect their DNA from radiation damage. It allows them to withstand 1,000 times more radiation than other animals.
These unique adaptations help tardigrades survive almost anywhere, from searing lava fields to freezing wastelands. But despite their hardiness, tardigrades are semi-aquatic and are most at home in moist environments such as ponds, moss, and damp plant matter.If you’d like to see a tardigrade yourself, check out any local ponds or shady parks and forests.
Getting a look at a tardigrade
Although tardigrades can sometimes be hard to find, they’re quite easy to see under a microscope.
You can use either a stereo microscope with a magnification of 40x or biological & brightfield microscope with 40x or 100x magnification.
Optico ASZ-100 Stereo Microscope
Microscopy techniques
You can easily see tardigrades using basic brightfield microscopy. However, they can look even better with more advanced optical techniques.
Optico N400M-XY Student Microscope
For example, darkfield microscopy will make your tardigrades stand out against a dark background. DIC and phase contrast will give you a clearer view of their features and structure.
And because their muscles, organelles, and mouth have a special quality called birefringence, polarized light microscopy will make your tardigrades look like a colorful night sky.
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The origins of the microscope can be traced back to the early days of human history when people first began using lenses to magnify objects. Today, they are used in a wide range of scientific fields, including biology, medicine, and material science. Here’s a quick look at their journey through the ages.
]]>Today, they are used in a wide range of scientific fields, including biology, medicine, and material science.
Here’s a quick look at their journey through the ages.
Early lenses
The earliest known lenses with magnifying potential have been found in ancient Assyrian, Egyptian and Mesopotamian ruins.
The most famous example, the Nimrud lens, discovered in the ruins of an Assyrian palace and dated to 750 BCE, had a humble 3x magnification.
It is possible that ancient lenses were used as reading aids, but many experts think they were primarily decorative or used to start fires.
423 BCE
The first written evidence of a device with magnifying potential is seen in a work by Greek playwright Aristophanes in 423 BCE.
The Clouds, a satire about Socrates, refers to a ‘splendidly transparent stone by which they kindle fire’.
First century
Did Nero really use an emerald to see gladiator fights better? Some people think so, but it could just be a misunderstanding based on a mistranslation of Pliny the Elder's writings. Pliny also mentions using a crystal lens to cauterise wounds.
Another well-known Roman philosopher, Seneca the Younger, was the first to put pen to paper about using a glass globe full of water to make small letters easier to read.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
801 – 900 CE
Abbas ibn Firnas was a brilliant inventor who is credited with creating the first ‘reading stone’. These were basically lenses made of quartz or beryl that you could put over text to make it bigger and easier to read.
It's hard to say exactly when people started using reading stones, but it was probably a gradual process.
11th century
Ibn al-Haytham is considered the father of modern optics and he wrote about using convex lenses to magnify images. However, there’s no evidence that he actually made his own lenses.
His most important surviving book is titled the Book of Optics, which was translated into Latin and became really popular in the western world.
13th century
The use of magnifying lenses for optical purposes probably started in the Islamic world and spread to Europe in the 13th century.
Around 1290, the first pair of glasses was made in Italy (probably in Pisa or Venice).
1500s
Invented in the 1500s, simple microscopes known as ‘flea glasses’ or ‘fly glasses’ were used to look at small insects.
Circa 1590
A modest Dutch eyeglass maker named Zacharias Janssen and his father Hans are credited with inventing the first compound microscope.
The Janssens’ microscope consisted of a series of lenses mounted on a small metal frame, and it was capable of magnifying objects up to nine times their actual size.
1600 – 1800
Overall, there was relatively little advancement in microscopy during this period, with a couple of notable exceptions. These are the famous names of Hooke and Leeuwenhoek.
In 1665, Robert Hooke published his illustrated book, Micrographia, which contained drawings of plants and insects as seen through a microscope. The book quickly became popular and helped to increase interest in microscopy.
In the 1670s, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a self-taught scientist, developed his own simple microscope lenses, which were far superior to those that had been previously available, capable of magnifying objects up to 200 times their actual size.
His findings and research received widespread acclaim and he became one of the early pioneers of microbiology.
1800s
The 1800s were a time of significant progress in microscopy, with numerous advances in lens technology, specimen preparation and microscope design.
One of the trailblazers is Joseph Lister, who is known for his pioneering work on antiseptic surgery. Lister developed a method for mounting specimens for observation under the microscope and the use of immersion oil to increase resolution.
He also made significantly improved lenses free from achromatic aberration (where objects appear coloured) and spherical aberration (where all objects appear as if circular).
Another legend is Carl Zeiss, who founded the company that bears his name and is still a major player in the microscope industry today.
Zeiss developed new types of lenses and microscope objectives that greatly improved the resolution and clarity of microscopes.
Together with physicist and inventor Ernst Abbe, he produced the first oil immersion lens and the Abbe condenser, which provides a bright, focused beam of light onto a sample.
1900s
Reaching the limits of optical microscopy, scientists turned to electrons and new optical techniques in the 1900s.
In 1931, Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll built the first prototype electron microscope. Two years later, their improved design would surpass the resolution of optical microscopes for the first time. Ruska would later receive the Nobel prize for his invention.
Manfred von Ardenne invented the scanning electron microscope in 1937. The following year he would go on to develop the first scanning transmission electron microscope.
In 1953, phase contract microscopy was invented by Nobel laureate Fritz Zernike. Around the same time, Georges Nomarski would develop differential interference contrast microscopy.
The first scanning tunnelling microscope was developed in 1981 by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer. They received the Nobel prize in physics alongside Ernst Ruska in 1986.
But let’s not overlook Albert Coons. In the 1940s, Coons invented florescence microscopy, which became an essential source of major discoveries in cell biology.
Thanks to Coons, we can see things in eye-popping, dazzling detail, as if they were lit up by a neon sign.
Today
Today’s powerful electron microscopes, allow us to see the world in a whole new way.
The mega transmission and scanning electron microscopes are remarkable.
These gigantic instruments allow us to magnify objects up to 50 million times their normal size, giving us an unprecedented look at the tiny details of everyday products and processes, and pushing the boundaries of what physics allows us to see.
From the nano details of everyday materials to the search for a cure for cancer, the field of microscopy is undergoing fast and furious change.
It’s hard to say exactly what the future holds for microscopy, but one thing is certain: with each new advance in technology, we’ll be able to see things in ever greater detail.
]]>A microscope is more than a tool. Treated with care and respect, this delicate piece of equipment will carry you through decades of professional service.
Here are some general tips to help you keep your microscope in top condition.
Here are some general tips to help you keep your microscope in top condition.
Handling
You can do a quite a bit of damage just by moving your microscope carelessly.
When you pick up your microscope, use both hands and make sure to hold it only by the base and the back arm. If you try to carry it by the eyepiece or the stage, there’s a good chance you’ll pull the microscope out of alignment.
Storage
Where and how you store your microscope can have a big impact on both your image quality and your wallet.
When your microscope isn’t in use, keep it protected with a fitted dust cover. Dust and dirt can ruin good images. Similarly, you should try to keep your microscope in a clean, dry area.
Moist and humid environments can corrode your instrument or allow mould to grow, while airborne contaminants like salty air or chemical fumes can damage the microscope. Prolonged sun exposure can also cause problems over time.
Lens care
An objective lens is the heart of your microscope and needs to be treated with care.
The most common issue is accidentally ramming a specimen slide into the lens when using high magnifications. Always remember to use only the fine focus for adjustments when using objectives above 40x.
Avoid dunking your lens in your specimens or samples as it can dirty, damage or contaminate your microscope.
When cleaning the lenses, be sure to use only approved cleaning solutions and materials or you could permanently damage your lens and microscope.
Microscope Optics Cleaning Kit
Immersion oil
If you use higher magnification oil objectives, you will inevitably use immersion oil. While immersion oil is a crucial part of microscopy, if mishandled it can also damage your microscope.
Be sure to clean the oil off your lens using lens paper immediately after use. Left too long, the oil will dry and solidify, making it harder to remove and accumulating dust and particulates that will impair your image quality. If you leave it untended for long enough, the oil will even start to degrade your lenses.
Be sure to use only lens paper to wipe off the immersion oil. Common substitutes like tissues, cloths and paper towels are too coarse and could easily scratch the lenses.
How to clean immersion oil from your 100x objective lens
Professional service
Unless you’re a qualified technician or a genuine enthusiast, there are limits to what you can do to keep your microscope in good working order.
So a periodic service by a reputable professional is recommended. They will clean, inspect, realign and lubricate all the components of your microscope and diagnose any problems.
It is a small expense that will greatly extend the working life of your instrument.
]]>A wet mount slide is one of the most common types of slide preparation techniques used in microscopy.
This guide walks you through the steps needed to prepare a wet mount slide for yourself. If you’re interested in microscopy, knowing how to mount your own wet slides is essential.
This guide walks you through the steps needed to prepare a wet mount slide for yourself. If you’re interested in microscopy, knowing how to mount your own wet slides is essential.
They’re most often used when looking at living specimens in a liquid or aqueous samples. Some common examples are plant or animal cells, and micro-organisms such as protozoa.
The main advantages of a wet mount are the ease of setup and the ability to observe living specimens in their natural habit. The main drawback is that they can’t be maintained permanently because the liquid will eventually evaporate.
A wet mount is simple to set up, but it can take a bit of practice to avoid air bubbles or spills. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
Materials
Method
That’s all there is to it.
Slide preparation is a technique you’ll use often, but as you’ve seen, it can be performed easily with a bit of knowledge and a little practice.
Water isn’t the only medium you can use for a wet mount – you might encounter mounts using glycerin or immersion oil. Just be sure your organisms or samples are compatible with your medium before you try it yourself.
Tips
Normal light microscopes have taken science a long way, but there are some realms that even light can’t reach. This is why science has turned to something even more powerful – the nanoscope.
]]>Routine light microscopes have taken science a long way, but there are some realms that even light can't reach.
This is why science has turned to something even more powerful – the nanoscope.
The invention of nano microscopes
The resolution limit in light microscopes has been known since the 19th century.
Because the wavelength of light was so much larger than the nanoscale specimens early scientists were trying to see, they couldn't correctly differentiate the detail. Ultimately, they turned to an alternative with a much smaller wavelength – the electron.
The first electron microscope was developed in the 1930s, allowing researchers their first glimpse into the nanoworld.
Since then, many different kinds of electron microscopes have been developed, as well as some newer nano microscopes that operate on other principles entirely.
How nano microscopes work
The field of nano-imaging has made remarkable advances in recent years, leading to a range of specialised nano microscopes.
Despite the versatility and complexity of these instruments, they can broadly be grouped into two main categories: electron microscopes and scanning probe microscopes (SPMs).
Electron microscopes are relatively simple in design, using powerful electromagnets to use a stream of high-speed electrons focused on a beam. The electrons collide with the sample and produce emissions that can then be detected to create an image of the sample.
Scanning probe microscopes operate on a different principle, although some varieties still use electrons.
Unlike electron microscopes, most SPMs scan their samples using a physical probe. These highly sophisticated probes are calibrated to detect specific qualities, such as magnetism or electrostatic force, and the tiny changes that are seen as the probe moves across the sample are translated into an image.
Types of nano microscope
Here's an overview of some of the most common types of nano microscopes.
Transmission electron microscopes (TEM)
One of the most well-known and widely used electron microscopes is the TEM, which operates similarly to a standard light microscope.
It involves passing a beam of electrons through a very thin sample slice and detecting the electrons that come out the other side, which are then transformed into an observable image using a fluorescent screen.
Because the electrons pass through the whole sample, TEMs can image internal structures.
Scanning electron microscopes (SEM)
SEMs are similar to TEMs, but instead of passing electrons through a sample, they systemically scan the beam of electrons across a sample's surface and detect any reflected or knocked-off electrons.
This approach creates stunning 3D images, unlike the flat pictures generated by TEMs.
Scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM)
A combination of TEM and SEM. With STEMs, samples are scanned by a beam of electrons, but the electrons transmit through the sample.
This versatile approach offers a range of additional capabilities, including spectroscopic analysis, tomographic scans, annular dark-field imaging, and more.
Scanning tunnelling microscope (STM)
A more recent development, STMs use quantum mechanics to map the surface of conductive samples.
]]>
Are you wondering about the difference between stereo and biological microscopes (also known as compound microscopes)? Don’t fret if it sounds confusing. They’re just two distinct types of microscopes, and it’s easy to decide which one you’ll need.
]]>Do you know the difference between stereo and biological microscopes (also known as compound microscopes)?
Don’t fret if it sounds confusing. They’re just two distinct types of microscopes, and it’s easy to decide which one you’ll need.
What’s the difference?
Stereo and biological microscopes might seem similar – they’re both optical light microscopes – but they’re actually designed to explore different things.
Stereo microscopes are used to look at larger things you can hold in your hand – insects, rocks, leaves, circuit boards or stamps.
On the other hand, biological microscopes are designed to let you see exceptionally tiny samples – such as bacteria or cells – that you can’t usually see with the naked eye.
There are, of course, some other important differences that we’ll go into below.
Stereo microscopes
Stereo microscopes (also known as dissecting microscopes) are a popular choice in a wide variety of professions, sciences and hobbies due to their versatility, practicality and unique features.
While they have a lower range of magnifications (often only up to 45x), they offer a variety of other features that more than compensate for it.
Unlike biological microscopes, stereoscopes give you plenty of room to play around with your specimens, making them perfect for hands-on tasks like inspecting, dissecting, mobile phone repair or as a soldering microscope.
They also have the unique ability to display the image in 3D – a picture that appears to have height, width and depth. As each eyepiece has a slightly different optical pathway, they work together to create an enhanced sense of depth perception.
Stereo microscopes are also easy to use (no sample preparation required), making them a great option both for educational settings and younger students.
Biological microscopes
You might recognise a biological (‘compound’) microscope as the more traditional type of microscope – typically three to five lenses and a turret (rotating nosepiece).
An essential scientific instrument, they’re used to explore minute samples. What can you see with a biological microscope? Well, almost anything you can fit on a slide – all types of plant and animal cells, including human hair, blood or skin, yeast cells, moss, algae or chlorophyll, to name a few.
You’ll find biological microscopes in a variety of settings – from research labs and vet clinics to breweries and wastewater plants.
They have an impressive range of magnifications – generally from 40x to 1000x – giving you a detailed look at individual cells and microorganisms.
Using a biological microscope is admittedly more complex than using a stereo microscope.
For instance, your samples must be pre-prepared and placed on glass slides before viewing them. Samples also have to be transparent to allow light to pass through, meaning you have to slice larger specimens into thin sections.
You can, however, buy inexpensive prepared slides to skip most of the hassle, and you can even find educational microscopes that come with labels and colour-coding for ease of use.
Before purchasing a biological microscope for a child, be aware that beginners might also need help to adjust the focus, magnification and lighting.
Despite the slight learning curve, don’t let this small challenge hold you back! Biological microscopes are a phenomenal tool that will open your eyes to a whole new microscopic world.
Remember, whether you choose a stereo or biological microscope, both are great options – provided you think about what you’ll be looking at before purchasing.
]]>Objective lenses are the heart of your microscope. To get the best image quality, you’ll need to keep them clean and clear. Here’s a quick guide to cleaning your lenses.
]]>Here’s a quick guide to cleaning your lenses.
Why clean your objectives?
Over time, dust, dirt and grime can build up on your lenses, particularly if you keep them uncovered or don’t properly remove immersion oil after use.
This inevitably leads to worsening image quality, and you’ll experience blurring, spots, shadows and distortions. Fortunately, it’s nothing a quick clean can’t solve.
Cleaning your objective lenses
Objective lenses are delicate and expensive pieces of equipment.
To avoid accidentally damaging the lenses during cleaning, you’ll need to be prepared with the right supplies for the job:
Cleaning procedure
Cleaning your lenses of general dust and dirt is quick and easy.
Microscope Optics Cleaning Kit
Keeping your microscope clean
The best way to keep your microscope clean is to prevent it getting dirty in the first place.
Frequent cleaning can actually damage the coating on your lenses, so it’s important to follow these basic steps to minimise the need for cleaning.
Think of a reticle as a contact lens with a crosshair. But for your microscope, of course. You’ll need a reticle if you want to measure microscopic specimens (and a stage micrometer too, but we’ll get to that). A reticle is a simple instrument – a small glass disc with an unlabelled measuring scale etched into it.
]]>You’ll need a reticle if you want to measure microscopic specimens (and a stage micrometer too, but we’ll get to that).
A reticle is a simple instrument – a small glass disc with an unlabelled measuring scale etched into it.
When you slot the reticle into your eyepiece, you’ll have a measurement scale overlaid on your microscope image.
Installing a reticle
Installing a reticle can be straightforward, a little complicated or outright impossible, depending on your microscope.
If you’re lucky, you’ll just need to remove the eyepiece from your microscope, unscrew the lower section, insert the reticle (the right way up!) and put everything back together again. Job done.
If you’re unlucky, your eyepiece might require a more elaborate disassembly and an extra component installed to hold the reticle in place.
If you’re really unlucky, reticles won’t be compatible with your eyepiece at all, particularly if you have an older model.
Be aware too that eyepieces can have different diameters, so ensure you get a reticle with a matching diameter.
Installation tips
While installing a reticle isn’t usually difficult, care still needs to be taken. Your microscope’s image quality can be ruined if you get dust, coating flecks or fingerprints in your optical path.
You can keep your eyepiece and reticle clean and clear with these tips:
Using your reticle
The reticle is simply an unmarked scale superimposed on your microscope image – it can’t compensate for different magnifications.
While you can make vague approximations with a reticle alone, for accurate measurements you’ll need to use a stage micrometer.
A stage micrometer is just a glass slide with a scale etched into it. The marks on the scale are precisely measured, and usually represent 0.1mm. It’s essentially a tiny ruler.
You’ll need to use the micrometer to calibrate your reticule for each different magnification.
Place the micrometer in position on the stage under your microscope’s objective lens and look down the eyepieces – you’ll be able to see both the reticle scale and the micrometer scale.
When you line up both scales, you’ll be able to use your tiny ruler to see how big your reticle increments are at that particular magnification.
Now that you know the real distance your reticle marks represent, you can swap out the micrometer for your specimen slide and start measuring.
Don’t forget that you’ll need to do this again for each different magnification.
We have stage micrometers available in two types of accuracy:
]]>But do you always need to use a cover slip, and are you using the right ones?
When to use a cover slip
In general, the use of cover slips – those thin, flat pieces of glass or plastic found near almost every microscope in every lab – is a good idea.
Of course, not every microscope or scenario calls for a cover slip. Stereo microscopes, for example, are designed to be used with samples that don’t require cover slips at all – rocks, insects or electronic components, for instance.
But for most compound bright field microscopes, cover slips are essential to image quality.
Why should I use a cover slip?
Using a cover slip is important for several reasons.
As mentioned above, a cover slip serves as a protective barrier for both your microscope and your sample.
It shields the objective lens from damage or contamination by preventing solutions from coming into contact with it. This can save you money on repairs or replacements.
It also slows the evaporation of liquid and reduces contamination from airborne particles, keeping your specimens hydrated and contaminant-free.
In addition, there are several crucial optical benefits to using a cover slip.
Types of cover slip
As you see, cover slips are important, but it’s also important to have the right cover slip.
While you can get cover slips of different shapes and sizes, the most important quality to consider is thickness.
Your microscope’s optical system was made with a certain thickness in mind and using a thicker or thinner cover slip will play havoc with the resolution (visible detail and clarity) if you aren’t prepared.
Most objective lenses are designed for a cover slip thickness of 0.17mm – you can see the ‘0.17’ written on the side of the objective.
That’s not the whole story though, as the cover slip is in fact slightly thinner than 0.17mm. The reason for this is that the number takes the mounting medium placed under the slip into account.
It can be important to remember this, as a thicker layer of medium or a medium with a different refractive index, might require a thinner or thicker cover slip.
To compensate for these minor differences and potentially variable coverslip thickness (due to the manufacturing process), some objectives come with what’s known as a ‘correction collar’.
These collars can be manually adjusted.
]]>Remember when everyone ditched vinyl records for CDs? Well, they’re back – with a vengeance. But while you’re assured of their distinctive charm, how can you be sure you’re getting the best sound quality? In many cases, subpar sound quality can be traced to the angle of your stylus rake (otherwise known as the vertical tracking angle) – or how the needle is placed on the record. If you have an elliptical stylus rake, you can change the angle until you find the sweet spot that you think sounds best.
]]>Well, they’re back – with a vengeance. But while you’re assured of their distinctive charm, how can you be sure you’re getting the best sound quality?
In many cases, subpar sound quality can be traced to the angle of your stylus rake (otherwise known as the vertical tracking angle) – or how the needle is placed on the record. If you have an elliptical stylus rake, you can change the angle until you find the sweet spot that you think sounds best.
You can do this just by listening to the music and making adjustments or you can try eyeballing it, but both of these methods leave your audio quality up to chance.
Fortunately, there’s a more reliable method – using a handheld digital microscope such as the Dinolite AM4111T to find the perfect angle – generally recognised as 92 degrees.
The high-quality images and measuring software that is included with the Dinolite makes it easy to accurately achieve the right SRA.
Below is a step-by-step guide to assist you through the process, which is not for the timid – but true aficionados will find it well worth the effort.
You’ll need:
… and a fair bit of patience!
First, connect your Dinolite AM4111T to your computer or laptop and install the microscope’s software. Gently remove the plastic LED shield from the microscope as per the instructions (this will get you close enough to the stylus to get a good picture), and set the magnification level to around 200x. Secure it in your microscope stand.
Make sure you start with the tonearm parallel to the turntable platter and then take the following 10 steps:
The right SRA can be painstaking to set up but, if you like microscopes and you like to measure things, you’ll be in your element. Sometimes actually achieving improved sound quality is as much fun as listening to the music!
]]>While the procedure appears simple, imaging high resolution blood cells in real-time is not easy.
As a potential practitioner, you’re going to need a microscope with high magnifications, good lighting and an excellent camera to get a detailed look at something as small as blood cells.
This is why live blood analysis begins with an investment in a good microscope with specific qualities.
What kind of microscope will I need?
When looking at something as tiny and hard to see as blood cells, you’ll need a highly specialised ‘darkfield’ microscope. As well as a darkfield setup, you’ll need:
Darkfield microscope
The best way to perform live blood analysis is with darkfield microscopy. This technique uses indirect light to brightly illuminate cells against a dark background.
To use it, you’ll need a darkfield microscope. If you have the budget, you can simply purchase a darkfield microscope, but it is also possible to purchase a darkfield kit and attach it to an existing microscope if it happens to be compatible.
Live blood darkfield setups use a darkfield (oil) condenser and a 100x darkfield objective lens. The condenser only allows obliquely angled light to hit the sample, while the darkfield objective has an integrated iris diaphragm that prevents excess light from ruining your image.
To get the best image quality, put a drop of immersion oil on the condenser and your glass slide – the oil has better optical properties than air and will give a much clearer image.
Magnification
At 400x magnification, you’ll be able to see blood cells. At 1000x, you’ll be able to see them even closer up.
Just make sure that your microscope has a 40x objective lens and the standard 10x magnification eyepiece lens (40x x 10x = 400x). You can use a 100x objective lens to get up to 1000x magnification.
Dark Field image of Live Blood captured at 400x magnification
It’s worth noting that a 100x objective almost always requires the use of immersion oil – it’s not much more effort but you must remember to clean it off after each use.
A word of caution. Note that higher magnification is not always better with microscopes. As a rule of thumb, magnifications over 1000x don’t provide any more detail and will in fact give you a lower quality image. Some websites boast microscopes with over 1000x or even 2000x. But don’t be fooled, this is almost always a marketing scam.
Dark Field image of Live Blood captured at 1000x magnification
Lighting
Lighting is very important for live blood analysis. For the brightest, clearest images you will want LEDs.
LED illumination has a pure, bright light with constant colour and intensity. It is also long lasting and energy efficient.
Unlike most other light sources, they produce little or no heat – this is important for wet samples like blood because hot lights can rapidly dry out a slide and very quickly turn your live blood analysis into dead blood analysis.
Live Blood Analysis Microscope
Camera mount
You will need to connect a camera to your microscope so your clients can see your microscope images on a screen. The most convenient way to do this is to purchase a trinocular microscope.
Trinocular microscopes have an extra eyepiece designed specifically for attaching cameras. You simply slot your camera into the camera mount and you’re ready to go.
What kind of camera will I need?
The best microscope in the world won’t help if you don’t have a decent microscope camera to go with it.
A good camera will allow you to show high-definition images to your client digitally on a screen, as well as capture stills and video of blood samples for your records.
There are quite a few options – from DSLR cameras to USB cameras – but here are some key points to consider.
Resolution
As your clients will want to see clear, high-resolution images, your best bet is a high-res HD camera. Your ideal camera will depend on the screen or monitor you’re using, but it’s a good idea to go for a 1080p HD camera at the minimum.
If you’re planning to display your microscope images on a large high-res TV or monitor, look into even higher resolution cameras (4K) such as the Optico 4K - USB3 Professional Camera.
Frame rate
The frame rate of your camera determines how frequently your image updates.
In practice, a higher frame rate means a smoother displayed image. Low frame rates will appear choppy, with more abrupt movements.
While high frame rates are desirable, ultimately it comes down to your preferences and budget. 60FPS (frames per second) is generally considered be the optimum frame rate for most purposes but it’s more important to try to avoid low frame rates (< 25FPS).
Do your best to find a microscope with these qualities, and you’ll soon be dazzling clients with high-quality images of their blood cells in action.
]]>Did you know that everyone’s eyes are unique, including the distance between them? So setting up your microscope’s eyepieces correctly is crucial. Fortunately, adjusting the eyepieces to suit your eyes is a quick and easy process. Here’s how to do it.
]]>So setting up your microscope’s eyepieces correctly is crucial.
Fortunately, adjusting the eyepieces to suit your eyes is a quick and easy process. Here’s how to do it.
Setting up your eyepieces
When setting up your eyepieces, the goal is to get a clear and focused image of your sample.
Since everyone's eyes are different, including the distance between them (called the interpupillary distance), you’ll need to adjust the eyepieces to fit your eyes perfectly.
Just move them closer together or farther apart until you see one clear circle through both eyepieces. This way, you’ll have the best possible view through the microscope.
Adjusting the diopter
Once the eyepieces are in position, it’s time to account for the difference between each of your eyes. Every eye is different – even your left and right eye!
This is where the microscope diopter comes in. The diopter is adjusted using the small ring on the eyepiece that you can rotate with your fingers.
By adjusting the diopter to suit your individual eyes, you can make sure that both of your eyes see a clear, focused image of the specimen despite any differences in visual strength.
It will also make using your microscope more comfortable, reducing eyestrain and tiredness.
Diopter adjustment procedure
Step 1. Start by resetting your eyepieces to zero. Look closely at the eyepiece rim – it has numbers on it. Underneath, there’s a fixed part with a white line or marking. Rotate the eyepieces until the zero on the rim lines up perfectly with that marking below. This will set them to the starting position ready for fine-tuning.
Step 2. Rotate the 10x objective into position and place a sample slide under the microscope. Bring it into focus so you’re ready for the next step.
Step 3. Focus your first eye. Close one eye and look through the eyepiece with your other eye. Adjust the diopter ring on the eyepiece until the sample is in sharp focus.
Step 4. Focus the other eye. Shut the eye that was open and open the other one. Look through the remaining eyepiece and adjust the diopter ring until the image is in sharp focus.
Step 5. Switch to the 40x objective. This can pick up small focal differences that you might not notice at 10x. Look through each eyepiece individually again. If the images are slightly out of focus, repeat the above procedure.
Step 6. Record your diopter settings so that you can easily adjust the eyepieces whenever you use the microscope again.
Step 7. Remember to zero the eyepieces after use on shared microscopes – it’s only polite!
And that’s all you need to do! Once you figure out your interpupillary and diopter settings, you’ll be all set to use any microscope like a pro.
]]>Inverted microscopes work in pretty much the same way as upright microscopes, they just flip your perspective. The position of the illuminator and objective lenses are simply switched around, so that light now shines down from above, and the objectives are found underneath the stage.
]]>Sometimes, the most detailed and revealing views can be found by observing from below.
Enter the inverted microscope – a valuable instrument that offers a unique perspective. Top of Form
What are inverted microscopes?
Inverted microscopes work in pretty much the same way as upright microscopes – they just flip your perspective.
The position of the illuminator and objective lenses are simply switched around, so that light now shines down from above, and the objectives are found underneath the stage.
This inverted arrangement offers a few advantages, including the ability to handle larger specimens and the convenience of accessing samples during observation.
Applications
Despite their fairly steep cost, inverted scopes are popular in a variety of industries and scientific disciplines.
They are most commonly found in the life sciences, where they’re particularly useful for studying live cell cultures.
They allow scientists to get a better look at samples, especially where the interesting specimens sink to, or grow on, the bottom of their containers. Viewing from below also removes the need for glass slides, allowing living specimens to be observed in a more natural habitat.
They’re also popular in metallurgy, engineering and manufacturing.
They can easily handle large and heavy metallurgical samples, as well as bulky electronic components that would never fit under an upright microscope – handy for both sample inspection and quality control.
Advantages
Inverted microscopes offer a variety of advantages over traditional microscopes.
The objective lenses are also sheltered beneath the microscope stage, preventing any risk of contamination. Plus, for geological or metallurgical samples, the sturdy stage can comfortably hold specimens of up to 30kg.
Disadvantages
There are a few disadvantages to inverted microscopes that should be taken into consideration:
Getting the best out of your trinocular microscope as a photographer can be tricky. If you want to make the most of your camera port, you should first know about beam splitters – what they are and what they do. It controls how much of the light will be shared between your eyepieces and the camera port. There’s only so much light to go around, so this can be important.
]]>If you want to make the most of your camera port, you should first know about beam splitters – what they are and what they do.
What is a beam splitter?
A beam splitter does exactly what it says on the box – it splits beams. In this case, it splits the beam of light flowing through your trinocular microscope.
It controls how much of the light will be shared between your eyepieces and the camera port.
There’s only so much light to go around, so this can be important.
For example, you will generally want a lot of light going to the camera so you can take better pictures. But if you also want to be using the eyepieces at the same time, the camera can’t hog all the light.
In this case, you might prefer to have a splitter that sends 20% of the light to the eyepieces and 80% to the camera so that you can get well-lit photos while retaining the use of the eyepieces.
The right light ratio for your particular needs depends on a number of factors, from the brightness of your microscope’s light to the sensitivity of your camera sensor, so it can be a bit of a balancing act.
Splitter ratios
Beam splitters can come with a variety of light ratios and adjustable settings.
They are labelled with numbers like ‘30/70’, where the first number represents the percentage of the light beam that goes to your eyepieces while the second number is the percentage of light directed to your camera port.
Common ratios are 50/50, 0/100, 30/70 and 20/80. Higher end microscopes even have adjustable splitters that can have multiple settings.
Most microscopes have a small lever or switch that allows you to engage the beam splitter at will, although some lower end models have no switch and permanently split the light at 50/50.
Things to consider
Choosing the right beam splitter is usually straightforward, but there are some basic principles to consider.
For photography in general, it’s better to have more light. You get better visibility, greater detail, and you can get away with lower camera sensitivity for a better signal-to-noise ratio.
At first glance, this would make a 30/70, 20/80 or even the 0/100 splitter look like a good choice. However, the following are a few factors that can affect your decision.
Optico ASZ-810 Infinity Parallel Zoom Microscope Bundle
Using eyepieces while you snap
If you prefer to use the eyepieces while you capture images, avoid the 0/100 splitters. Without light specifically directed to the eyepieces, you won’t be able to see anything.
Illuminator
If the microscope has a particularly strong or weak light source, you’ll have to plan accordingly. For example, with a powerful illuminator, you might find that a 50/50 or lower splitter is more than enough for most applications.
Mobile microorganisms
If you’re using a 0/100 splitter to get all the light to the camera, you might run into trouble with fast-moving samples.
In the time it takes you to switch the splitter from the eyepieces to the camera, there’s a good chance your specimen will have moved out of frame or focus.
Camera sensitivity
More sensitive camera sensors won’t require as much light.
Magnification
If you’re working with higher magnifications, you’ll typically need more light.
Working off a screen
If you prefer to use a digital display or camera screen instead of the eyepieces while you’re taking photos, a 0/100 splitter might be a good pick. You won’t need any light going to the eyepieces.
Screen sharing
If you’re using the trinocular port to share your image with others, you’ll want to avoid a 0/100 splitter if you’re going to use your eyepieces at the same time.
Although it ultimately depends on your setup and equipment, a 50/50 split can be useful to ensure that everyone is seeing the same image. Similarly, if you’re sharing the image through a dimmer screen or projector, you might want a greater amount of light going to the camera port.
Conclusion
The right beam splitter can make a big difference to your photography or screen sharing. But if you know your equipment and your needs, you’ll have no trouble finding your ideal splitter.
Tip
When taking photos while using a beam splitter, be aware that stray light can enter through the eyepieces and get into the camera, producing bright spots. If this is a problem for you, try darkening your work area or simply place caps on the eyepieces.
]]>Germs spread easily so keep yourself, your co-workers and your family safe with good microscope sanitation. Just as you wash your hands before meals, you should routinely clean and disinfect your microscope to prevent the spread of infection – and to keep your equipment in good working order. This is particularly important in shared work or school environments. Here are some steps for keeping your microscope in good shape while keeping contamination to a minimum.
]]>Just as you wash your hands before meals, you should routinely clean and disinfect your microscope to prevent the spread of infection – and to keep your equipment in good working order. This is particularly important in shared work or school environments.
Here are some steps for keeping your microscope in good shape while keeping contamination to a minimum.
Glove up
You’ll need:
Priority one is to protect yourself when you’re cleaning the equipment. Wash your hands well (or use hand sanitiser), then don a pair of disposable gloves. This prevents you from accidentally contaminating the microscope and helps ensure you don’t touch any infectious microorganisms while you’re cleaning.
Clean the frame
You’ll need:
Before you can properly disinfect your microscope, you need to first remove any dust or dirt that could be hiding dangerous microorganisms.
Disinfect the frame
Once you’ve cleaned your microscope, you’re ready to disinfect it.
You’ll need:
Clean and disinfect the lenses
It’s important to keep your optics clean and clear. Microscope lenses are easily scratched, and care should be taken to avoid damaging them.
You’ll need:
Clean-up
Be sure to safely dispose of your gloves, and to wash and sanitise your hands after you’re finished.
Tips
Are you searching for the best microscope for a beginner? Weighing up quality versus cost? Ease of use versus fancy features? Or considering the basic choice of stereo versus compound? Look no further than the My First Lab-06 Duo-Scope. This microscope is versatile, affordable and of satisfactory quality.It’s a great choice for microscopists of any age who are just starting out.
]]>Weighing up quality versus cost? Ease of use versus fancy features? Or considering the basic choice of stereo versus compound?
Look no further than the My First Lab-06 Duo-Scope. This microscope is versatile, affordable and of satisfactory quality.
It’s a great choice for microscopists of any age who are just starting out.
2-in-1 scope
Unlike most microscopes, the Duo-Scope gives you the ability to look both at glass slides and larger objects like insects or rocks.
This means there’s no need to choose between a compound microscope and a stereo microscope – the Duo gives you the best of both worlds with the flick of a switch.
So, whether you or your young scientist-in-training is into biology (cells and tissues) or geology (rocks and minerals), the Duo has you covered.
Magnification and optics
Despite the low price, the Duo-Scope is no mere toy.
Unlike some beginner microscopes that are made with flimsy plastic lenses, the Duo-Scope is equipped with proper optical glass lenses that provide a crisp and clear image up to 400x magnification.
It comes with three magnifications – 40x, 100x and 400x, so you can find the best setting for the specimen at hand.
Durable and easy to use
The Duo-Scope was designed with learners in mind.
It’s easy to set up and use, and its solid construction is durable enough to handle the rigours of enthusiastic curiosity.
Additionally, it is lightweight and battery-powered, which makes it convenient to carry around and use outdoors.
Accessories
The range of accessories that is included makes it easy for you or your child to dive straight into the world of microscopy.
The kit includes everything needed to prepare microscope slides and conduct experiments, and it comes with two optical stains to help you get a better view of your specimens.
There’s also a handy instruction manual and experiment guide that explains everything you or your child needs to know.
Here’s the list of what you’ll find in the accessory kit:
Affordable quality
The My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope is perfect for children in its own right and comes at a very reasonable price.
It’s well made, good quality and perfect for its target audience.
It has the optical quality to grow with the user as you explore your interests and offers a level of versatility that is hard to find anywhere else.
Whether you’re introducing young eyes to the wonders of nature or a budding scientist yourself, the versatile Duo-Scope represents outstanding value.
]]>When you hear ‘microscope’, what kind of microscope do you think about? The traditional model once used in schools – waiting your turn, viewing things one by one and with one eye at a time? Or a microscope that allows for more modern technologies like digital imaging and file-sharing? Today, there’s a wide variety of microscopes in the world, each with their own uses. Below is an overview of 6 basic types of microscopes you’re likely to encounter.
]]>Today, there’s a wide variety of microscopes in the world, each with their own uses. Below is an overview of 6 basic types of microscopes you’re likely to encounter.
Stereo
A stereo microscope, also known as a dissecting microscope, lets you view bigger 3D specimens, such as insects, rocks or plant life.
They have two eyepieces with separate optical pathways and lower magnification (~60x). And they use visible light to produce a 3D image of your sample. Unlike with some other types of microscopes, the image stays the right way up, so you can freely handle your samples while you look at them.
Optico ASZ200 Stereo Microscope
Stereo microscopes can work with either transmitted light (passes through a sample) or reflected light (bounces off a sample), so they are particularly useful for looking at opaque specimens.
Used in a wide variety of scientific fields and industries, such as the biological and geological sciences, electronics and technical engineering.
Compound
A compound microscope, also known as a biological microscope, uses two sets of lenses to produce much higher magnifications (~1000x). You might be familiar with this type from high school.
They’re generally used to look at extremely small transparent specimens (microorganisms, cells and tissue).
They typically come with multiple objective lenses of different magnifications that can be rotated into place to provide both an overview and a detailed look at your samples.
Used in the biological sciences, as well as medical and veterinary professions.
Inverted
Inverted microscopes function similarly to traditional microscopes but (as the name implies) the layout of the objective lenses and the lights are reversed. The light source is located above the sample while the lenses are below it. There are two main varieties.
Biological inverted microscopes
These generally have a range of magnifications up to 400x and are used to view living samples in petri dishes or larger containers.
The samples are viewed from below for a number of reasons:
Used in a wide range of biological sciences, from neuroscience to microbiology.
Optico ANIB-100-LED Inverted Biological Microscope
Metallurgical inverted microscopes
This type is used to inspect opaque objects that are too large for a regular microscope. They have similar magnifications to their biological equivalent but are used to inspect metals and minerals instead of organic material.
Used in manufacturing and engineering to inspect metals for faults, stress damage and fatigue.
Metallurgical
Upright metallurgical microscopes use higher magnifications (~500x) to inspect a variety of opaque substances such as metals, polymers and ceramics.
Optico MR2100 Inverted Metallurgical Microscope
They function in a similar fashion to their inverted cousins. That is, light is reflected off the sample, allowing the material to be inspected for faults, or to assess the structure and grain size.
Used in manufacturing and engineering.
Polarizing
Polarizing microscopes use polarized light (think sunglasses) to make it easier to view reflective samples. They are designed to reduce unwanted glare by adjusting the properties of the microscope’s light.
These microscopes work by placing a sample between two polarizing filters (one of which is adjustable) that only allow light of a certain orientation to pass through.
Nikon Eclipse E-200 POL Polarizing Microscope
Polarizing microscopes also react with birefringent substances such as crystals, minerals and plastics. These substances refract light differently based on the polarity of the light to create truly beautiful and colourful images.
Used in medicine, chemistry and metallurgy.
Fluorescence
Fluorescence microscopes are used to inspect samples that have been stained with special fluorescent dyes.
They ‘bombard’ a sample with high intensity light and then filter out the source light, leaving only a brightly coloured fluorescent image on a dark background.
Used for medical diagnostics, researching biological processes and observing chemical structures.
Optico N300F LED Fluorescent Microscope
And more …
All 6 common types of microscopes play an enormous part in science, industry and the professions by taking us deep into worlds we’ve come to think of as ‘microscopic’.
That’s not the end of the story, however. There’s a vast range of more sophisticated microscopes – confocal microscopes using lasers, electron microscopes firing beams of accelerate electrons, x-ray microscopes creating images using electromagnetic radiation, and more.
The world of microscopy is bigger than you think but, once hooked, you’ll never see the world the same way again.
]]>Almost everything you want to observe under a microscope first needs to be ‘mounted’. To get the best view – and to prevent your microscope getting dirty or contaminated – you’ll need to prepare your samples beforehand using glass slides and coverslips. Not to worry, mounting your samples is quick and easy. To get you started, here’s a quick look at 3 of the most common mounting techniques.
]]>To get the best view – and to prevent your microscope getting dirty or contaminated – you’ll need to prepare your samples beforehand using glass slides and coverslips.
Not to worry, mounting your samples is quick and easy.
To get you started, here’s a quick look at 3 of the most common mounting techniques.
Dry mount
Dry mounts are the most basic technique. You simply place the sample on a glass slide and top it off with a coverslip.
This approach is best used for dry specimens, such as powders pollen, particles, hair or parts of plants and insects.
Samples that are too thick or particularly opaque might have to be ‘thinned down’ first. To do this, you make a very fine slice of your sample that will be thin enough to fit under the coverslip and allow enough light to get through.
Dry mounted slides will last a long time, so you can hang onto them for future viewing.
Wet mount
Wet mounts are a little more involved.
Instead of just resting on the slide, your samples are suspended in a liquid medium such as water or glycerine. This approach lets you view living specimens in their natural habitat without drying them out, but it involves a few extra steps.
By lowering the coverslip at an angle instead of just dropping it on top, you avoid trapping any air bubbles.
Common wet mount slide samples might include pond water, yoghurt culture, and blood cells.
While this technique is versatile and useful, wet mount slides often have a short lifespan. The liquid inside will evaporate over time and living specimens will eventually die.
Smear
Smears are a variation mount used when a liquid is too thick or deeply coloured for a normal wet mount. This technique is commonly used for blood samples.
A droplet of the sample is placed on a slide then carefully smeared across it so the sample is thinned out and easier to see.
While making a smear isn’t complicated, it takes a bit of practice to get a nice, even spread.
By adjusting the angle of the slide, you can make the smear thicker or thinner – bigger angles will give you a thicker smear.
Different samples can require different smearing techniques. For example, blood smears usually don’t place the angled slide directly into the droplet. Instead, they place it on the bottom slide itself before pulling it back into the droplet.
Stains
Staining is an important part of slide preparation with specimens that are transparent or hard to see.
Stains allow you get a better look at their details and structure. You can even use stains to differentiate between different microbial species.
Staining methods can range from the very simple to some fairly complex multistage preparations. But to get you started, here’s how to perform a simple stain on a wet mount.
Stains are handy but also usually lethal to a living sample. So, if you’re trying to study live microbial activity or movement, you’ll need to find an alternative technique to staining.
]]>Ponds provide a fascinating world of tiny creatures to explore with a microscope. If you’re unfamiliar with microscopy, pond water is a fantastic place to start. Here, you can see an incredible array of microorganisms in one place, everything from algae and bacteria to protozoa and arthropods. Examining pond water is a straightforward and fun experiment, making it ideal for beginners and children. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
]]>If you’re unfamiliar with microscopy, pond water is a fantastic place to start. Here, you can see an incredible array of microorganisms in one place, everything from algae and bacteria to protozoa and arthropods.
Examining pond water is a straightforward and fun experiment, making it ideal for beginners and children. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
What you’ll need
Collecting your samples
Mosquito larvae under the microscope
Preparing your slides
What you might find
Pond water is home to a wide array of organisms of all shapes and sizes, and you might find anything from tiny crustaceans to water bears, which are also called tardigrades.
Tardigrade under the microscope
Here are some of the critters you might encounter –
Water fleas in pond water under the microscope
Every pond is its own tiny ecosystem – grab a sample from a different pond and see if you notice any differences.
]]>Today’s Zeiss microscopes are high-end and high quality, generally aimed at the research market, industries and universities. Some of their lower-end models are very popular with labs, medical practices and hobbyists. The quality and reliability of Zeiss products means that even significantly older models are still much sought-after in a thriving second-hand market.
]]>Due to their performance and reliability, you’ll find Zeiss microscopes in industries everywhere, including semiconductors, life sciences, medicine and materials research.
Background
The Zeiss success story began over 170 years ago, when scientific instrument maker Carl Zeiss opened a workshop in the German city of Jena.
Together with physicist Ernst Abbe and glass chemist Otto Schott, he laid the foundations of today’s multinational company.
Their collaboration would go on to produce innovations that are still widely used today – from the first oil immersion lens and the invention of the apochromatic lens to the Abbe condenser itself.
Target demographics
Today’s Zeiss microscopes are high-end and high quality, generally aimed at the research market, industries and universities.
Some of their lower-end models are very popular with labs, medical practices and hobbyists.
The quality and reliability of Zeiss products means that even significantly older models are still much sought-after in a thriving second-hand market.
Advantages and disadvantages
As an industry leader in optical and mechanical quality, the only real downside to a Zeiss microscope is that quality comes at a price.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Popular models
Zeiss Primostar 3
The Primostar 3 is a lower-end model designed for routine lab work and educational settings.
It’s compact, robust and easy to use, making it a great choice for intense day-to-day work and teaching. The Primostar 3 comes in several versions tailored to different needs, such as educational efficiency, digital integration and versatility.
In addition to the standard features, it comes with Zeiss’s quality optics. It is also compatible with phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy.
Zeiss Axiolab 5
The latest in a series of excellent laboratory microscopes, the Axiolab 5 is a high-quality workhorse designed for routine lab work.
It has a range of ergonomic and quality-of-life features aimed at increasing workflow efficiency and comfort, such as easy to reach controls, ergonomically integrated digital controls, and energy-saving modes.
The Axiolab 5 also takes advantage of smart microscopy. The (included) Axiocam microscope camera automatically adjusts the white balance, exposure time and image enhancements without the need for a computer or additional software, letting you take detailed, true-colour images on the fly.
Zeiss Standard series
Much older models, the Zeiss Standards are still held in high regard today.
Popular amongst hobbyists and enthusiasts, Standards are rugged and reliable. They lack some of the bells and whistles of modern microscopes, but they still have excellent optical and mechanical quality.
Some of the better-known models are the Standard 20 and the Standard 14.
Notable other models
Axioscope, Axio Observer, Axio Scope A1 and LSM 980.
]]>If you’re trying to find your own tardigrades, start with any damp leaf litter, moss or lichen near your house. You can also find them on submerged vegetation in ponds or on muddy surfaces. If you’re struggling, check out some local parks or ponds.
]]>With their plump, teddy bear bodies, they are often described as ‘adorable’ or ‘cute’. And they’re all but indestructible, living in conditions that would kill virtually anything else.
They can survive almost anything, almost anywhere – searing lava fields, frozen wastelands, and even the vacuum of space.
But you can just as easily find them in parks, ponds or your very own backyard.
Finding your own tardigrade
While water bears are capable of surviving in almost any environment, they’re semi-aquatic and prefer to live in environments with a bit of moisture.
If you’re trying to find your own tardigrades, start with any damp leaf litter, moss or lichen near your house. You can also find them on submerged vegetation in ponds or on muddy surfaces.
If you’re struggling, check out some local parks or ponds.
A reliable approach
It can sometimes be difficult to find a tardigrade, even after you find their habitats.
To make your bear hunt a little easier, here’s one of the most reliable methods:
You can either place your containers straight under a microscope (stereo or compound with a 4x objective) or transfer your tardigrades to a glass slide for an even closer look.
If you’re struggling to finding any tardigrades in your sample, try shaking or squeezing out your lichen/moss, or straining out the plant matter from the water.
For all their widespread presence on Earth, individual tardigrades can be quite elusive. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find any on your first or second attempt. Sooner or later, you’ll find those 8 stubby legs and it’ll all be worth it.
]]>Most compound microscopes come equipped with a condenser – a lens or set of lenses that evenly focus light onto your specimen. But is one condenser enough? If you’re after the very best image quality, you’ll find that two is better. Fortunately, you won’t have to constantly swap your whole condenser – you just need a swing-out condenser.
]]>But is one condenser enough?
If you’re after the very best image quality, you’ll find that two is better.
Fortunately, you won’t have to constantly swap your whole condenser – you just need a swing-out condenser.
What is a swing-out condenser?
As the name suggests, a swing-out condenser simply has an extra condenser that you ‘swing out’ in front of the main condenser body.
It’s a bit like putting reading glasses on your microscope.
Using one is very simple – when you are using high magnification objectives, swing the secondary condenser into the light path. When using low power objectives, swing it back out of the way.
So, why do you need a secondary condenser in the first place?
Why do you need a swing-out condenser?
The reason a single all-purpose condenser isn’t the best is because of the range of numerical aperture (NA) values it has to deal with.
What is numerical aperture?
NA is a measure of the resolution of an objective lens – a higher NA lets you distinguish more detail. It captures light at sharper, more oblique angles, so it’s better at capturing light than a lower NA lens.
Lenses with different NA values need different amounts of light to be let through the condenser to produce the best image quality.
Dealing with different NA values
Ideally, the iris of your condenser should be set to match the NA value of your current objective, letting the appropriate amount of light for that NA through.
The problem is that the appropriate cones of light vary wildly in size. Microscopes generally come with 4 different objective lenses, each with their own very different NA values.
For example, the NA of 0.10 for a 4x objective might require a light cone with a diameter of 8mm, while the 1.25 NA of a 100x objective might call for a 0.2mm cone of light.
Double the condenser, half the problem
The issue then is that a single condenser must try to accommodate big differences in light cone diameter.
If it’s too much for one condenser to handle, why not use two?
For this reason, the swing-out condenser was created – two different condensers combined into one, able to swing in and out of position as needed. Swung in for high power, swung out for low power.
By having the different condensers handle either the upper or lower range of NA values, the range of light cone diameters they have to handle is drastically reduced.
Each condenser can provide the perfect amount of light for its designated NA range, completely filling the field of view as required.
So, if you’re looking for the best possible image quality, consider investing in a swing-out condenser.
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