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Microscopy & Imaging JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Proper Care and Cleaning of the Microscope

DOI: 10.3791/842-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Identify common microscope contaminants affecting image quality
  • ✓ Perform proper cleaning procedures for microscope optics
  • ✓ Understand differential interference contrast sensitivity to contamination
Protocol

Keeping the microscope optics clean is important for high-quality imaging. Dust, fingerprints, excess immersion oil, or mounting medium on or in a microscope causes reduction in contrast and resolution. DIC is especially sensitive to contamination and scratches on the lens surfaces. This protocol details the procedure for keeping the microscope clean.

Difficulty
beginner
Total time
~15-30 min per cleaning session

Steps

1
Care and cleaning of microscope optics

Remove dust, fingerprints, excess immersion oil, and mounting medium from microscope lenses and surfaces using proper cleaning techniques. Apply special attention to DIC (differential interference contrast) optics, which are highly sensitive to contamination and surface scratches.

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