Five Steps for Optical Maintenance of Nikon Microscopes
First, keeping optical components clean is essential for maintaining good optical performance. When the microscope is not in use, it should be covered with the supplied dust cover. If dust or dirt accumulates on optical surfaces or the instrument, use a rubber bulb to blow away dust or a soft brush to remove debris before wiping the surface.
Second, optical surfaces of Nikon microscopes should be cleaned with lint-free cloth, lens paper, or cotton swabs moistened with specialized lens cleaning solution. Avoid using excessive solvent; the lens paper or swab should be dampened appropriately without allowing solvent to seep into the objective lens, which would reduce clarity and damage the lens.
Third, the front surfaces of eyepieces and objectives in Nikon microscopes are most susceptible to dust, dirt, and oil contamination. When contrast and clarity decrease or hazing appears, carefully inspect the front lenses of the eyepieces and objectives using a magnifying glass.
Fourth, low-power objectives have relatively large front lens elements and can be wiped with cloth wrapped around a finger, cotton swabs, or lens paper moistened with ethanol. Extra care and magnified inspection are required for 40X and 100X objectives. To achieve high flatness, high-power lenses use a front lens element with a concave surface of small curvature radius; these should be cleaned gently with a toothpick with cotton or a cotton swab. Wipe lightly without excessive pressure or scratching, and ensure the swab reaches the concave area. After cleaning, inspect the objective for damage with a magnifying glass. If the observation tube must be opened, take care not to touch exposed lenses beneath it. Fingerprints on lens surfaces reduce image clarity and should be cleaned using the same method as for eyepieces.
Fifth, after using the 100X oil immersion objective on a Nikon microscope, promptly wipe the oil from the lens surface and check whether the 40X objective has been contaminated with oil; clean it immediately if necessary. This keeps the microscope producing clear images at all times.
