Motorized Stage Applications for Optical Microscope Upgrades
1. Transmission fluorescence microscope: The excitation light source is used to excite fluorescence by passing through the specimen material through a condenser lens. Commonly used dark field concentrators can also be used, and ordinary concentrators can be used to adjust the reflector to redirect and sidelobe the excitation light onto the specimen. This is a relatively old-fashioned fluorescence microscope. Its advantage is strong fluorescence at low magnification, but its disadvantage is that its fluorescence decreases with increasing magnification. Therefore, it is better for observing larger specimen materials.
2. Falling light fluorescence microscope is a new type of fluorescence microscope developed in modern times. Unlike the above, the excitation light falls from the objective lens downwards onto the surface of the specimen, using the same objective lens as the illumination condenser and the objective lens for collecting fluorescence. A dual color beam splitter needs to be added to the optical path, which is 45 degrees apart from the light uranium. Angle, the excitation light is reflected into the objective lens and focused on the sample. The fluorescence generated by the sample, as well as the excitation light reflected from the surface of the objective lens and cover glass, enter the objective lens and return to the dual color beam splitter, separating the excitation light and fluorescence. The residual excitation light is then absorbed by the blocking filter. If different combinations of excitation filters/dual color beam separators/blocking filters are used, they can meet the needs of different fluorescent reaction products. The advantages of this fluorescence microscope are uniform field illumination, clear imaging, and stronger fluorescence with larger magnification.
(2) Instructions for using fluorescence microscope
1. Turn on the light source. The ultra-high pressure mercury lamp needs to be preheated for a few minutes to reach its maximum brightness.
2. Transmission fluorescence microscopy requires the installation of the required excitation filter between the lamp source and the condenser, and the corresponding blocking filter behind the objective lens. The falling light fluorescence microscope needs to insert the required excitation filter/dual color beam splitter/blocking filter block into the slot of the optical path.
3. Observe with a low-power microscope and adjust the center of the light source according to the adjustment device of different types of fluorescence microscopes, so that it is located at the center of the entire illumination spot.
4. Place the specimen and focus it for observation. Attention should be paid during use: Do not observe directly with your eyes before installing the filter to avoid eye damage; When observing specimens with an oil microscope, a special non fluorescent oil microscope must be used; After the high-pressure mercury lamp is turned off, it cannot be immediately turned back on. It takes 5 minutes to restart, otherwise it will be unstable and affect the lifespan of the mercury lamp.
(3) Observing under a fluorescence microscope on a teaching platform using a blue violet light filter, cells stained with 0.01% acridine orange fluorescent dye can be seen. The nucleus and cytoplasm are excited to produce two different colors of fluorescence (dark green and orange red).
