You have your new microscope but you are not done with it yet. On top of purchasing the microscope, you need microscopy accessories to keep your instrument in top shape and to enhance its imaging performance.

Accessories to Accessorize With

A functional wristwatch or a real leather briefcase can do much to improve one’s corporate image. In microscopy, accessories are designed to protect the microscope and to give microscopy convenience. Say if you are in the middle of doing microscopic research, you do not drop what you are doing because you ran out of slides or immersion oil, which are the basic accessories of a microscope. Can you imagine the magnitude of the disaster?

You will also require a carry case for your microscope, dust covers, clamps, black and white stage plates, stage clips, and much more to satisfy your microscopy needs. On the other hand, auxiliary accessories will depend on the type of microscope you are using.

The auxiliary accessories encompass a diverse range of items. There are micromanipulators, stands, temperature control stages, and stage incubators. There are also mechanical systems to customize science research.

Before buying that microscope, check out the microscopy accessories take note or make a list of the items you might need for the interiors of your microscope. However, do not attempt to replace interior parts unless you know the nuts and bolt of your microscope’s insides. Suppliers of microscopes will be willing to do the job for you.

The Difference Counts

Microscopes have different functions and technology specializations; hence these require different microscopy accessories. Each microscope demands a different, if not unique, sets of accessories. When you take home a microscope, say a digital microscope, you will need imaging software. For a fluorescent microscope, enhanced illumination plays a factor; you’ll be shopping for better illumination accessories.

If what you have is an ocular piece, lenses are available should you need a new set. But for a digital microscope you will need a larger monitor or screen to enjoy greater magnification of your specimen or subject. As a rule, pricier accessories reflect quality, especially if you are dealing with a specific brand. Makers of microscopes have accessories for their different types of microscopes and models.

There are cheaper accessories available. These can come in handy if money is tight but if you can, always get the same brand accessories for your microscope. The manual that goes with your microscope is a big help if you want to know specific details of your microscope accessories needs.

Nothing Lasts Forever

Things come and go. Microscopes too. If you have been using your microscope for years and its beginning to show wear and tear, count and compare the cost of costly repairs with the frequent purchase of accessories.

The local dealer should have a wide range of selections for your microscopy accessories. If your microscope brand does not have the accessory you need, you can always find a different make of accessory that can be easily integrated into your microscope.

With proper care and handling, your microscope will go a long way but along the way you’ll need microscopy accessories. It’s better to know what you will need later and where to get it.

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The number of parents choosing to homeschool their children are rising. Besides being a very economical option, it allows parents to actively participate in their child’s education. However, some parents worry about their competence, especially when it comes to teaching upper grade courses like the more specialized science of Biology. The mere mention of the subject brings to mind biological microscopes in antiseptic-smelling laboratories and white coats — definitely something that would intimidate a parent without a degree.

But beyond this preconceived notion of difficulty (and perhaps the fear of using biological microscopes), teaching your child high school biology is challenging but definitely doable. Here are some useful tips to help you through the rigors of biological studies with your teen:

1. Get access to a laboratory.

Either you set up one at home, look up possibilities at the local library, or ask your local school district for help, it’s very important to have access to one. You probably don’t need to use it very often, especially if you’re using the nature study approach. But you will definitely need use of at least student-grade biological microscopes. To spice lessons up, try getting the more powerful stereo microscope fitted with cameras or video monitors.

2. Try nature study to keep it fun.

Biology is a boring subject to those who are not especially gifted. And because your child is mostly studying from home, it’s important to fan the interest despite the boring nature of the subject. How do you do this? Be creative!

Instead of just using charts and color photographs, take your teen outdoors and study nature outside. The trip can be a combination of fun and learning if you bring sturdy biological microscopes along with your digital camera, and put learning objectives on your itinerary.

3. Know what to use, when, and how.

Biological microscopes are great tools for learning. But there are other equipment you can use as well. Visuals are very important because recall is better if lessons come in graphic, colorful images. Toss in the fact that the organism appears truly alive under a microscope and it becomes unforgettable to a curious teen’s mind. How light plays on different substances is rarely visible to the naked eye. But with polarized light microscopes, you can distinctively see optical properties of both isotropic (usually liquids and gases) and anisotropic materials (about 90 percent of solids).

Distance education programs are also excellent tools you may want to add to your repertoire as an educator. The materials in an online course are wonderfully illustrated and you’ll find detailed explanations for each lesson. In biology classes, you’re likely to find clear color photographs of what you’d see under a biological microscope when you’re instructed to do so. It won’t only give you the help you need for homeschooling your child, it also gives you the opportunity to learn. You can use an online program as a tutor and real life laboratory work to see it for yourself.

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Biological microscopes are wonderful tools for discovery. Check out CanScope.ca’s selection of microscopes in Toronto, microscope accessories Toronto, and more today!

Answering Questions That Led To A New Way of Doing Things

August Köhler was doing his graduate studies when he discovered the new way to illuminate objects on the sample plane of microscopes. At that time, there were many methods used to brighten objects under the microscope. One involved using gas lamps. Another mirrors. When they finally used bulbs, the filament of the bulb they used was visible in their microscope’s sample plane. Needless to say, these methods were not satisfactory.

By trying to come up with solutions on various microphotography problems, August Köhler was able to invent the Kohler illumination. But it was not until he was hired by the company Carl Zeiss AG that his invention was truly given enough attention. Until today, Kohler illumination is still used. It has also been the basis for the more modern method of microscope illumination.

How to Set Up Kohler Illumination

This system needs a bulb with high density illumination, field diaphragm, condenser diaphragm, collector lens, and condenser lends. The first thing that you need to do is to set up your specimen. Close the field diaphragm until you see its edges. The edges will be blurry at this point. Now turn the condenser knobs to make the edges as clear as possible. Then center the image of the closed field diaphragm. Do this by using the condenser-centering screws. After that, you open the field diaphragm just a little bit to bring its edges out of the field of view. Then adjust the condenser diaphragm to adjust your sample’s contrast. If the light is too intense, you may have to adjust it. The best way to do this is to use the proper filters. It is not advisable to reduce the power supply as this will give the sample a yellowish or brownish look. Once these steps are followed, you will be able to enjoy sample analysis without any light interference. Your experiment or observations will not have shadows or uneven lighting.

If these steps don’t work, your lens probably need cleaning. Dirt in the lens and other parts of the microscope will greatly affect the quality of your image. If you still do not see a well-illuminated sample, you may have to do the steps again to check if you did them properly.

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Then, when Science class came, these magnificent natural phenomena are made more splendid when you learned that night and day is because of the Earth’s rotation. You marvel at yourself when you knew that rainbows are not because of magic, but of light’s wavelengths passing through raindrops.

Still, there are so many things that you have no answer yet. There are still so many things that you need to know. Like, what is numerical aperture? What are Achromat and Plan-Apochromat Objectives?

And of course, there’s that “small side -” the side that you don’t understand because you simply cannot see it using your naked eyes alone. You talk about atoms and molecules but you have not really come close to seeing them. Good thing though that the world came up with the microscope.

Yes, through the microscope, the world became more visible – and more understandable. Wait – there’s more good news! You can now make use of microscopy accessories. When you cannot afford to buy those very expensive digital or electron microscopes, you can always use microscopy accessories instead.

Here are some of them:

Pocket Microscope

This is one of the microscopy accessories that does not live up to its size. The pocket microscope maybe small but it is a powerful one. This is also sometimes referred to as a “pen microscope” because it comes with a pen clip. As such, you can conveniently clip this onto your shirt pocket for a more dramatic effect. And of course, you won’t have any problems regarding magnification because pocket microscopes come in different magnifications to suit your every need.

Microfilm viewer

If you are confronted with situations when you need to see through a microfilm or even an x-ray film, you sometimes panic because naturally, you cannot really see through it without the use of special gadgets. Good thing though that today, you can already seek the aid of a microfilm viewer. This small accessory makes use of high quality glass optics and comes with a handle. This is also one of those microscopy accessories that considers its user: the microfilm viewer is specifically designed to minimize eye fatigue – a consequence if you work for long periods of time.

Flexible Stand Loupe

This accessory is made up of a loupe (a small magnifying glass), a flexible arm and a solid stand. This is indeed ideal for inspecting specimen on a working table where you need both of your hands free. The arm is flexible enough for any position. Therefore, you can continue to inspect a specimen while maintaining good posture and taking advantage of the best lighting conditions.

So you see, it’s not only the microscope that can give you a “better view on things.” There are a lot of microscopy accessories out there that can do the same job of aiding your eye. They are cheaper, lighter and smaller.

So the next time that you are confronted with a “viewing problem,” don’t go chasing microscopes directly. Try one of the microscopy accessories mentioned above. You’ll see that they’re equally great in bringing you the beauty of the smaller things in this world.

CanScope – complete solution for all your microscopy needs.
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Looking for microscopy accessories in Toronto? Visit CanScope.ca. Click on their website as well to learn about numerical aperture and Achromat and Plan-Apochromat Objectives in Toronto.

If you noticed that your kid has shown interest on the micro-world – perhaps you observed that he constantly plays with his magnifying lenses – then get him one of those educational microscopes. Don’t go for toys – get a real microscope, but at a lesser price.

There are many educational microscopes out in the market. They are especially designed for children – to satisfy their curiosity about the things that they cannot see using their naked eyes. By telling them that they can see what a drop of blood really looks like through these educational microscopes, perhaps, they would never be frightened anymore the next time that they go to the lab and have a blood extraction. Do tell them however, that educational microscopes cannot let them see ghosts. In this context, ghosts do not fall under the category: “invisible to the naked eye.”

But with the many versions and types of educational microscopes out there, how do you know which one to choose? How do you know which one to buy? Do you even know what an educational microscope looks like?

Well, you don’t need to have a Masters Degree or a PHD to know what an educational microscope looks like. You simply have to ask the right questions. Surely, stores that specialize on microscopes know the difference between veterinary microscopes and educational microscopes.

The store attendants may present to you different models, such as The Travel Lab, the MicroQuest, The Explorer II and The Observer III. That’s a lot to choose from. But the secret to getting the educational microscope perfect for your kid’s needs is in matching his/her preference and your budget.

If your kid is aged 10-12, for instance, he may find The Observer II appealing because he can make a lot of adjustments with that model. But if he is younger than 10 year old, and is just starting to exhibit his interest in Science, then you can get the Travel Lab or the MicroQuest for a start. These are the best in starter scopes and they even come with microscopy accessories such as specimen containers and blank slides. Plus, this type of educational microscope would not cost you much.

As a parent (or a guardian, an aunt, an uncle a godfather or practically anyone dealing with kids), you need to support your child’s education. Not all kids are natural observers and natural inquisitors. Thus, if your kid happens to be one, nurture such instinct. Get him one of those educational microscopes right away. At 10 years old, he may not know yet what a fluorescent filters cube is. But with your guidance and support, it won’t be for long before he can explain to you what that term truly means.

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Light and Colors

Contrary to the common field microscope that uses reflection and absorption techniques to create magnified images of specimen, the fluorescent microscope uses light to excite specimens to emit light of longer wavelength. Fluorescence is an intrinsic property of substances where it becomes luminescent when excited by a radiation. Simply put, a fluorescent microscope is a light microscope with extended capabilities and added features. A more intense light is used in microscopy that excites fluorescence in the specimen which then emits a longer light wave length. Scientists use markers to distinguish emitted wavelengths by different colors. This technology shows digitally clear color images of microscopic organisms under probe. This technique of using transmitted light through a specimen is known as Kohler illumination, after the brilliant mind who sought to overcome the limitations of previous technologies, August Kohler.

Fluorescent Microscope in Life Sciences

Unlike metallurgical microscopes used for inspecting ceramics, metals and other inorganic materials, the fluorescence microscope finds its best uses in biology and life sciences. Rapidly expanding observation technique in medicine and biology, a range of more sophisticated techniques has evolved from it. More advanced technologies such as the multiphoton and canfocal microscopies are now combined with chromophore and flourophore advances now make intracellular observations even in unicellular molecules possible. Where the cell was acknowledged to be the smallest biological unit a few decades past, components of the human DNA are no distinguishable observations under these powerful tools.

Some have an inverted frame most suitable for viewing tissue cultures and similar applications. These designs provide illumination using an episcopic optical pathway.

Examples of Fluorescence Microscopes

Olympus BX51 Upright Microscope is a modern design of an epi-flourescent microscope with a vertical illuminator. The illuminator houses a xenon or mercury arc lamp and a turret of filter cubes. Source light travels through the lamp house through two diaphragms and into the cube holding the excitation and emission filters, as well as a dichroic mirror

Olympus IX70 Inverted Microscope. This inverted frame uses epi-illumination from an internal lamphouse. Light travels from the lamphouse via a collector lens into a cube holding the filters and a dichroic mirror

Both these examples are professional or research grade equipment. These both show the full range of capabilities a basic illuminating microscope is capable of. There are even more powerful microscopes with far more advanced features using highly advanced techniques. One of the more popular ones, confocal microscopy, now offers point-scanning capabilities with the latest from Olympus, the FluoView Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy.

Other highly advanced techniques like Multiphoton Excitation Microscopy combine multiple techniques to capture high-definition, three-dimensional, and full color images of specimens. These are the best there is in research equipment, and these will change your life from the very first instant that you use them.

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Yes, you can see the invisible with a fluorescent microscope in toronto. Get started using one – or a metallurgical microscope – and learn more about Kohler illumination! Visit CanScope.ca today.

In the earlier times, there were a lot of issues on sample illumination. As a result, the images seen under microscope come out as problematic, uneven, hazy, and to some extent, incorrect. All these problems are due to incorrect or poor lighting.

It was in 1893 when almost all issues of illumination were addressed. Thank goodness for the Kohler illumination! This technique was designed by August Karl Johann Valentin K”hler, a German professor. He was also an employee of the world famous Carl Zeiss Company, the leader in optical systems and engineering.

The Kohler Illumination is known for optimizing microscopic resolution simply by illuminating the field of view in an even manner. In simple terms, this means that you will get the ideal illumination if all the elements and parts of the microscope are properly aligned.

The Kohler Illumination therefore revolutionized the design of the light microscope – the type that involves diffraction, refraction and reflection. It somehow perfects the use of light in examining specimens.

Here are some of the most important “light hurdles” that the Kohler Illumination overcame:

The Filament Image

Years before the invention of the Kohler Illumination, the filament of the bulb used in lighting up the sample being examined is visible in the sample plane. Now, if you were a scientist, or a student, you wouldn’t want a distraction in your sample plane. If this was a test, and you didn’t realize that it was the filament showing up in your sample plane, you’d answer the question incorrectly.

Numerous attempts were undertaken to get rid of that filament image. First, people started using an opal bulb. Then they also tried lowering the power of the light source. This way, the image reflected by the light is not sharp enough to register itself in the sample plane as well. Of course, there’s that opal glass diffuser – to cause a certain amount of light scattering.

Still, these attempts were not perfect in eliminating the filament image. In addition, they cause even more problems. For instance, if you reduce power of the light source, you could have reduced quality of light as well. As a result, you might not be able to clearly see the specimen in your sample plate. Then there’s that question on uniformity of light.

With the Kohler Illumination, however, the light microscope saw a different kind of “light.” It was able to produce light at optimum levels. It was able to answer lighting issues – that of the filament image, most especially.

Indeed, thank goodness for the Kohler Illumination!

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Learn how to achieve Kohler Illumination. Get the best deals of a metallurgical microscope in Toronto or a fluorescent microscope at CanScope.ca. Visit their site now!

This article, however, will only focus on the lenses system – the whole group responsible in forming the image.

The Eyepiece

Without this part, you cannot see the specimen being examined. This is by far, among the most important parts of the microscope. This is a cylindrical tube which contains a lens. Stereo microscopes have two eyepieces, while a compound microscope only has one.

The Objective Lenses

The primary role of the objective lenses is to gather light from the object or specimen being observed. There are several objective lenses in a microscope. Each lens varies according to magnification to provide you with more options for better specimen examination.

Sometimes, special objectives are used for certain examination techniques. The phase contrast – developed by Frits Zernike – is by far the most sophisticated. The phase contrast technique is basically about enhancing contrast. As a general rule, you can easily differentiate two specimens or even objects if they have high contrast – white is better seen when set against a black background.

Books and even Internet articles that explain the phase contrast method seems too technical for this kind of article – one that’s focused in explaining the lenses system of the microscope. Still, to give you an idea on the concept of the phase contrast microscopy, this simple explanation would do:

It’s a bit hard to have a microscopic view of living tissues (such as blood) because most of them are transparent. These kinds of specimen are usually called phase objects because they do not absorb light – instead, they diffract (to cause the bending of the waves) them. As a result of the bending, the light becomes less visible (by 1/4 wavelength). Let’s not discuss what 1/4 wavelength really means but simply put, it suggests that such a reduced property of light cannot be seen by your naked eye, not even by a camera.

It is in this context that the phase contrast technique becomes very useful. Somehow, this technique – using special objectives and a condenser – is able to solve such a problem. It is able to yield an image that is darker than its light background.

Other special objectives are the infinity-corrected optical systems – where the image distance is set at infinity. These lenses are great for biomedical and industrial microscopes.

The Nosepiece

As mentioned, most microscopes have more than one objective lenses. As such, these objectives need something to hold them together – and this is where the nosepiece comes in handy.

The Tube

This is the very thing that holds the eyepiece and the objective lenses – but at an appropriate distance. This is responsible for keeping away stray light. While the lenses are already powerful enough, some still prefer to use accessories such as a fluorescent filter. This is done in order to get optimum lighting and for special viewing techniques.

Once again, these parts only refer to the lenses system of a microscope. These are the ones responsible in forming the image of the specimen. You still need to acquaint yourself with the other parts – such as the illumination system and specimen control to better understand how the microscope works.

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However, children being what they are, you will need to supervise their activities with the microscope. This will ensure their safety and prolong the life of the equipment.

Set-Up

First and foremost, make sure that the microscope is placed on a flat surface, preferably a tabletop, with plenty of room for working purposes. It must be within easy reach of the person using it whilst still securely within the working area’s perimeter. You don’t want your expensive stereo microscope shattering at your feet, do you?

Second, ensure that you plug the microscope into the appropriate outlet. Just follow specification on this matter to avoid mishaps. Plus, make sure that excess cord is safely positioned – think hidden – such that no one will trip on it.

Third, use either the bottom lighting or top lighting of the stereo microscope to have the best view of the target. For opaque objects, use top lighting while transparent objects mounted on slides view best in bottom lighting.

Now that you have properly set up your microscope and work station, it’s time to let your kids enjoy the show.

Use

When placing your specimen under the stereo microscope, use the stage clips when and where necessary. For example, specimens that curl up at the side can be studied better when it lies flat upon the stage.

However, if your specimen is considerably larger than the stage, it’s a good idea to unclip the stage clips. This way, you have more room to work with the specimen under study.

When focusing, you can either turn the focus knob or turn the specimen. The trick is in making sure that the specimen is directly under the objective lens. Plus, be sure to focus as slowly as possible to avoid eye strain.

For small children, you have to supervise them by looking at the eyepiece once in a while. You have to guide them, too, in using the equipment as sudden turns can affect the device’s future performance.

Maintenance

As soon as you are finished using the stereo microscope, you have to turn off the switch, remove the target/specimen, unplug the power cord, and then cover it with its dust cover. All these precautions are necessary to prevent the microscope from faster wear and tear.

And you don’t use just about any cleaning solvent on your microscope either! For the body, use a soft dry cloth to wipe away the dust on the exterior while a non-solvent cleaning solution is best for the lenses’ exterior side and a bulb-type duster for its interior side.

In all these activities, keep in mind that a stereo microscope is a delicate and dear piece of equipment in more ways than one. As such, care must be exercised when using and maintaining it. This way, you and your children can enjoy many more adventures in the world of microscopy!

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As such, before splurging on something as important as a compound microscope, be sure that you factor in these compound considerations that go into buying it. These factors ought to make certain things clearer to your mind’s eye much as a microscope makes things clearer to your naked eye.

Parts

Plastic parts might be cheaper and colorful than metal parts in a microscope, yes, but you must opt for durability and quality more than beauty and quantity. As such, always choose microscopes that are made of mostly metal parts.

You will get more mileage from a metal microscope, not to mention that it ought to retain its basic beauty even after years of use. Plus, it does look more professional sitting atop your home lab desk than a toy plastic microscope!

Also, do opt for all-glass lenses. Although there are toy microscopes that promise magnifications of up to 600 times, their lenses simply will not allow for said power.

Power

A compound microscope usually comes in two basic types: low power and high power. Each type has its applications although the high power microscope is preferred for most laboratory activities.

The low power microscope magnifies visible specimens from 10X to 80X their normal sizes. Think of things like grains of sand, coins, fabric, small insects and leaves, which a budding scientist will be interested in exploring in minutiae.

The high power microscope, on the other hand, allows for magnification of 100X-1000X of invisible objects like blood cells, microorganisms and bacteria. This compound microscope, of course, requires proper training and handling.

Of course, if the microscope is intended for children, a low power type ought to suffice since it does not require elaborate specimen preparation and complex operation. When the children gets older and still have need of a microscope, then it is logical to purchase the high power type.

Price

Now, price is the last consideration because you ought to be willing to pay for a quality microscope. You don’t have to worry too much about the price though as you can purchase a good microscope for as little as $100!

If you do settle for a cheaper microscope, be sure that it fits your needs perfectly. After all, you don’t want to shell out money for a compound microscope that will not prove itself worthy of its price, no matter how small it may be. Don’t compound your money woes with virtually useless equipment, in other words.

When all these factors are considered in your purchase of the perfect compound microscope, you will discover that life, indeed, can be good despite the nitty-gritty details that we might not want to see. Think of the additional cost but, hey, when it comes to education for the whole family, nothing should be too expensive!

CanScope – complete solution for all your microscopy needs.
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Visit CanScope.ca for your microscope needs. Choose from a fluorescent microscope, a trinocular microscope and a compound microscope in Toronto today!