How to maintain the clarity of the microscope's optical path
The optical path of a microscope includes an eyepiece, objective, upper or lower light source, and a light box. A light path system composed of these several components, if one of them has a problem, it will cause the entire system to be unable to work properly. Below, I will briefly explain how to ensure the clarity of the microscope's optical path!
1: The surface lens of the eyepiece objective is most susceptible to dust, dirt, and oil contamination. When it is found that the contrast and clarity decrease, and fog occurs, it is necessary to carefully check the condition of the eyepiece and the lens in front of the objective with a magnifying glass.
2: It is very important to ensure the optical performance of the microscope. When the microscope is not in use, it should be covered with the dust cover provided by the instrument. If there is dust and dirt on the optical surface and instrument, a permanent balloon should be blown to remove the dust or a soft brush should be used to remove the dirt before wiping the surface.
3: The optical surface should be cleaned with lint free cotton cloth, lens paper, or a cotton swab dampened with a specialized lens cleaning solution. When cleaning, excessive solvents should be avoided. Lens wiping paper or cotton swabs should be properly wetted with solvents, but do not penetrate the objective lens due to the use of too much solvent, which may cause a decrease in clarity and damage to the objective lens.
4: The low-power objective has a relatively large front lens, which can be wiped with cotton cloth or swab wrapped around the fingers and wiping paper dampened with ethanol. 40X and 100X require careful inspection with a magnifying glass. In order to achieve high flatness in high-power lenses, a front lens with a small curvature radius concave surface was used. When wiping this lens, a toothpick or cotton swab with a cotton ball was used to clean it. Wipe the surface of the lens lightly. Do not exert excessive force or make scraping movements, and make sure to touch the concave surface of the lens in front of you. After cleaning, use a magnifying glass to check the objective lens for damage. If it is necessary to open the observation lens tube, be careful not to come into contact with the exposed lens under the tube. If there are finger marks on the surface of the lens, it will reduce the clarity of the image. Therefore, the objective lens and the eyepiece should be wiped using a cleaning method.
