• Microscopes America specializes in the professional onsite servicing, and refurbishing of microscopes and balances. We cater to specific segments in the educational markets: public schools, private schools, colleges, and universities. We also specialize in servicing laboratory, clinical, and research microscopes for hospitals and government institutions
• All of our microscope specialists have been in the microscopy field for over 25 years. Microscope servicing and repair is a craft and should only be performed by those whom have mastered the skills necessary to competently return your microscopes to factory presets, OEM standards and specifications
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Microscopes Parts
Microscope Care and Maintenance instructions
Microscope Safety
• Never disassemble the microscope as doing so may cause electric shock or damage to the microscope. Unless you've been trained in the service and repair, we don't recommend taking them apart
• Allow the halogen bulbs to cool before removing. Never touch the halogen envelop - glass. The natural oils from your hands will dramatically shorten the life of thehalogen bulb. Halogen bulbs become extremely hot and may cause burns if touched
• To avoid electric shock or damage to the instrument, unplug the microscope prior to replacing the bulb
• Use only the prescribed halogen or fluorescent light bulbs. Do not go too high with the wattage
• Turn off and unplug the microscope before moving. Do not forget to unplug the microscope
• If the microscope has exposed wires either in the line cord or the electrical plug - do not use the microscope as it could easily shock one of your students
• A loose power switch can also cause electrical shock and should be taken out of circulation if it is loose
Carrying the Microscope
• Always lift the microscope with two hands: one hand on the arm, the other hand supporting the base
Storage
• A microscopes best friend: Other than the microscope technician, is the microscope cover. Always cover the microscope with the supplied dust cover when not in use. We cannot stress enough the importance of covering the glass (lenses) of the microscope. Most educational environments do not have the best filtering technologies and covering them protects them from dust in the laboratory. Also cover the micrsocope if they are stored in a cabinet. There is ample dust in cabinets also.
• Try to store in a dry place with the cover
• In humid or moist environments, it is advisable to store the microscope in a waterproof container with a drying agent
• Do not touch the optical lens with bare fingersand then leave the microscope for an extended storage period • Do not store the microscope in direct sunlight. Sunlight can influence the quality of the specimen imaging
Microscope Troubleshooting
Are you having trouble with your microscope? Below is a list of common questions Microscopes America receives when it comes to microscope maintenance and troubleshooting. If your question is not listed here, please call us at 1-800-790-8115 and a microscopetechnician will gladly assist you.
1) My microscope will not turn on or illuminate.
• First, check to see if your microscope is plugged in. Ensure your lab station has power. Also, ensure your aperture diaphragm is not closed. If light is not coming through your condenser open the iris or disk diaphragm.
• Check to see if the bulbs are installed correctly: You may have to install or reinstall the microscope bulb. Not all microscopes are shipped with the bulbs already installed. If the bulbs are installed, check to ensure they are not loose, which occationally occurs during shipment.
• Have you examined all power adjustments? Most microscopes have rocker switches located on the back, sides or the top of the base. Have you checked to ensure the switch is turned on.
Ensure once the microscope is turned on, and you have power, the dimmer (rheostat) is turned up. The dimmer may be turned all the way down. Therefore, no light.
• Is the fuse in good condition? Some microscopes (with cords) have fuses that can be accessed from the outside (and sometimes inside) of the microscope. Depending on the your microscope model, you will either find the fuse on the bottom or back of the microscope. If the glass case of the fuse appears discolored or burned, or you can see broken pieces of the fuse element, this means the fuse is not working (the fuse is open). Replacing the fuse will solve your illumination issue. If your microscope blows the new fuse quickly, please contact one of our microscope technicians for a quick repair.
FINALLY: If your microscope is turned on. Your microscope has power. Your microscope's diaphragm is open. Your fuse is fine (closed). Then, most likely, you either have an electrical short in the wiring or you may even have a blown transformer (transformers do not blow often and it is rare but it does occur).
Types of microscopes
• Light microscope:
Light microscope is a common optical device using the visible wavelengths. Optical microscopes are widely used for viewing small objects in colour. It can be binocular and monocular, trinocular for the use of video capturing devices.These microscopes use refractive lenses and eyepieces made of glass to direct a magnified image to the eye or other capturing device. The usual Light microscope magnification is 1500x but could also reach 2000x with less viewing quality.
• Compound microscope:
Compound microscope is the most practiced microscope in science, work and hobby. It consists of two optical parts: ocular lens (the one next to your eyes) and the objective lens (the one positioned close to the watched sample). Compound microscope was first introduced by the Dutch spectacle maker Zacharias Janssen (he is also known for inventing a telescope). His sophisticated device for a year 1590 performed two tasks: viewing stars and small objects. The instrument became the invention of the first compound microscope and telescope at the same time.
• Digital microscope : USB microscope:
Digital microscope. A microscope, a video capturing device and a video screen forming one unit without eye pieces is a proper definition of a digital microscope. On the other hand, if you mount a digital camera on a trinocular microscope for example, it would also make a good "unofficial" digital microscope or USB microscope. For a better image or video resolution and overall quality, it is better using a proper digital microscope as the digital microscope lens is made specifically for the camera. The most common digital microscope has a 15 inch monitor and around 2 million pixel camera.
• Fluorescence microscope:
A fluorescence microscope is an equal to common light microscopes instrument with the exception that it illuminates specimen with the light of a special wavelength causing the observed object to emit light with a different colour due to absorbtion by the fluorophores. Life sciences widely use fluorescence microscopes, mostly the type called "epifluorescence microscopes". Fluorescence microscopes are very useful in all fields of biology, making it possible to study more thoroughly protein and other molecules.
• Electron microscope : scanning:
Electron microscope is one of the most sophisticated microscopes known in science. Electron microscope uses electrostatic and electromagnetic lenses and by means of electrons illuminating an object, magnifying an image up to 2 million times while light microscopes only 2 thousand times. Electron microscope uses a wavelength of an electron called Broglie wavelength. By controlling the beam of electromagnetic radiation electron microscope makes it possible to focus it, producing an image of the greatest scale.
• Stereo microscope:
The stereo microscope or "dissecting microscope" is an optical microscope used for detailed three dimentional vision. Catching the light with two objectives, stereo microscope allows better studies of thick specimen. Capable of dark field observations stereo microscope functions by means of two separate light beams making the visual stereo effect. Stereo microscopes are not very powerful though, their useful magnification is not greater than 100 and 10 times in the average use. Some stereo microscopes use auxiliary objectives for more magnification.
• Microscope camera:
• Microscope video recording has become one of the common procedures in microscopy. Microscope camera can be build into a digital microscope or mounted on a trinocular microscope. Microscope camera is a special video capturing device designed for microscopes which can not be used for other purposes. Most of conventional digital cameras can be used for filming microscope images by means of adapters. Under-microscope.com uses a special microscope digital camera DCM500 for video and image taking with a considerably high resolution of 5million pixels.
Timeline of the Microscope
• 14th century: Spectacles first made in Italy • 1590: Two Dutch spectacle-makers and father-and-son team, Hans and Zacharias Janssen, create the first microscope. • 1667: Robert Hooke's famous "Micrographia" is published, which outlines Hooke's various studies using the microscope. • 1675: Enter Anton van Leeuwenhoek, who used a microscope with one lens to observe insects and other specimen. Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe bacteria. • 18th century: As technology improved, microscopy became more popular among scientists. Part of this was due to the discovery that combining two types of glass reduced the chromatic effect. • 1830: Joseph Jackson Lister discovers that using weak lenses together at various distances provided clear magnification. • 1878: A mathematical theory linking resolution to light wavelength is invented by Ernst Abbe. • 1903: Richard Zsigmondy invents the ultramicroscope, which allows for observation of specimens below the wavelength of light. • 1932: Transparent biological materials are studied for the first time using Frits Xernike's invention of the phase-contrast microscope. • 1938: Just six years after the invention of the phase contrast microscope comes the electron microscope, developed by Ernst Ruska, who realized that using electrons in microscopy enhanced resolution. • 1981: 3-D specimen images possible with the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer.
