Category: Microscopes

Microscopes are a powerful and widely used tool in the biotech industry. Selecting the right types of microscopes for your research is crucial.  Let’s take a look at steps to take and what to consider before pulling the trigger on pricey (but essential) equipment for your lab.

Understanding Your Requirements

These days, there’s a microscope designed for everything. Only you know the specific use case in your lab, use that knowledge to inform your purchasing decision. If you want to share your vision with us, we can help you along the way.

• Primary Purpose: Here’s a good starting question: What purpose will the devices serve in your lab? Will they be used for teaching, quality control, diagnostics, or something else? What kinds of specimens will you be observing?
• Determining Sample Types: Depending on the kinds of samples your research will focus on, you could need specific equipment. Consider what you’ll be examining frequently. Will they be biological specimens, chemicals, or solid materials?
• Budget Considerations: Of course, you can’t just select the most high-end equipment without regard to your budget. Keep in mind that in addition to the initial cost of a microscope, there’s potential for future maintenance and upgrades. Striking a balance between price and quality is tricky, for sure, but worth it.

Types of Microscopes

Just like you wouldn’t use a paring knife to butcher a chicken, you’re not going to be able to examine a nanocrystal very well with an optical microscope. To determine the best application for different kinds of research, let’s put the different options—well—under the microscope!

• Upright/Compound: One of the most common types, this is used in most labs and other scientific settings to view blood cells, parasites, bacteria, cheek cells, and other similar samples.
• Inverted: This device offers magnification ranging anywhere from 40x–400x, and is typically used to view living samples, tissues, and cells in a petri dish. It’s perfect for cell biology, neuroscience, and microbiology!
• Stereo/Dissecting: Typically providing 10x–40x magnification, this equipment is used to observe things you can hold in your hand, like a penny or small animal for dissection. It is often used for samples that don’t allow light to pass through them.
• Fluorescence: This uses high-intensity light instead of visible light to examine specimens that have been stained with a fluorescent dye, presenting a bright image set against a dark background. This is an ideal instrument for ecological studies as well as live versus dead bacteria.
• Digital: Rather than mirrors and lenses, this uses a digital camera to display its images on a digital screen. This allows for easy viewing, recording, and image analysis. Additionally, it generally includes software that helps with measurements, annotation, and image processing. This makes it perfect for general use in both research and educational environments.
• Phase Contrast: This enhances the contrast of transparent and colorless specimens, making them visible without the need for staining. This is achieved by exploiting differences in the refractive index of different parts of the specimen, converting subtle phase shifts in light passing through the specimen into variations in light intensity that can be observed. This instrument is ideal for live-cell imaging, cell culture studies, and detailed biological sample examinations.

Matching Features with Your Needs

You’ve considered your needs to determine the type of microscope you’ll need, but there’s still more work to be done. Depending on the model you get, they can come with several different features and capabilities. 

• Magnification and Resolution: Generally, high magnification means higher cost. Keeping this in mind, you probably don’t need the highest magnification capabilities if you’re working with cellular structures.
• Illumination Options: Light can play a key role in the quality of the images you obtain. The differences between LED and halogen could be vast, for example.
• Imaging and Digital Capabilities: Today’s devices have plenty of imaging capabilities that allow for the capture and sharing of images. These features are helpful if you’re collaborating or preparing a presentation.
• Ergonomics and User-Friendliness: No equipment is fun to use if it’s uncomfortable. If the design of something is at odds with the physical build of its user, research will be much more difficult.

Considering Scalability

Do you plan on expanding your lab and research capabilities? If so, it’s good to keep those plans in mind when buying your equipment. After all, renovations and other supplies are costly enough. Wouldn’t it be great to keep your existing tools rather than require all new ones?

Before you buy, explore the possibilities of add-ons and accessories that are compatible with any purchase you’re considering. A tool with great out-of-the-box features may be useless when your lab’s objectives evolve.

Do Your Research

Nobody likes discovering their purchase is falling short of their expectations. This is where careful research can save you that headache altogether! Here are a few things to consider:

• Research Brands and Manufacturers: There’s a reason manufacturers like Zeiss and Olympus have been around for decades. It’s because they make good products! Take some time to research brands and their track records before clicking the “Buy” button.
• Compare Warranties and Support: A robust warranty can be a dealmaker in your search for laboratory tools. Support like BaneBio provides for our customers is next to none.
• Look up Product Reviews: You probably looked at the reviews before your most recent Amazon purchase, so why not do the same with your microscope? 

Conclusion

A good laboratory manager will know the lab’s goals and work scope before carelessly purchasing equipment. By understanding your own requirements, types of equipment, and manufacturer options, you can make purchases that will benefit your scientific work for years to come.

Still need a little help making your decision? That’s alright. We’re happy to help you make your decision! Or if you’re simply curious about our microscopes for sale, feel free to take a look. Let’s make your lab the best it can be!

It has aged quite well. 

The microscope is centuries old. In the early writings of Roman philosophers, they mention “burning glass” which sounds like they were onto something big. The first invention to enhance small object observation was made in the late 1300s when two lenses were placed at opposite ends of a tube. This prototype launched what we know as the microscope. 

The Early Microscope History

During the 13th century, grinding glass for spectacles (glasses) and magnifying glasses was standard. In the late 16th century, Dutch lens makers designed devices that could magnify objects. In 1609, everything changed. Galileo perfected what was named the microscope. 

The compound microscope was invented by Dutch spectacle makers Zaccharias Janssen and Hans Lipperhey. They realized that placing different types and sizes of lenses on opposite ends of the tubes enlarged small objects. 

A New Discovery

In the late 16th century, while polishing and grinding lenses, Anton Van Leeuwenhoek discovered that specifically-shaped lenses increased an image’s size. His glass enlarged objects several times their size. The visual quality made it possible to see items at a microscopic level. Animals, bacteria, and the intricate details of everyday objects never before seen by the human eye were now clear and visible. Leeuwenhoek’s discovery made him the founder of microscopy, and his work was vital to developing cell theory. 

The Achromatic Lens

One hundred years passed before the microscope had its next significant improvement and solved a problem. Early models allowed light to refract when passing through the lenses, altering what images looked like rather than just enhancing their size. The achromatic lens, created for eyeglasses, improved the visual acuity of the microscope. 

Other Improvements

Changes abounded during the 18th and 19th centuries for the microscope in terms of housing, design, and quality. They became more stable, smaller, and visual acuity continued to improve. 

Several people contributed to its modern-day evolution. August Kohler invented uniform illumination allowing specimens to be photographed. Ernst Leitz figured out how to use different magnifications by putting multiple lenses on a turret that rotated at the end of the lens. Ernst Abbe discovered how to allow more light-spectrum colors to become visible. His design later led to the development of the ultraviolet telescope. 

Modern Microscope Technology

Thanks to the thinkers and inventors who saw ways to enhance its primitive design, the microscope has allowed scholars and students to study and discover the world around them. We can now see what was once unseen, which has led to the discovery of species, understanding bacteria, and cures for disease. Science––the world––is a better place thanks to the abilities and improvements of the microscope.

Ready for a microscope upgrade? BaneBio has been providing equipment to laboratories in the BioHealth Capital Region for over a decade. We are your trusted laboratory product provider that will meet and exceed your expectations. Don’t just buy your equipment anywhere. Trust BaneBio, your Lab Logistics experts. Contact us today!

If you’re looking to add a new microscope to your lab, you’ve likely discovered it’s not always easy to figure out the best model for your needs. You can begin to narrow down your choices by identifying exactly what you’ll be viewing with the new equipment. Once you’ve done that, the other pieces will fall in place.

Here are a few things to consider.

1. Longevity 

You’ll be using the microscope frequently, so make sure you choose one that’s made of durable materials, such as metallic alloys, and that all joints are fastened with metal screws. The microscope’s finish should be resistant to reagents and easily cleaned. Once purchased, make sure to add the equipment to your lab’s preventive maintenance list.

2. Lighting

You’ll see many lighting options when buying a microscope, including fluorescent, incandescent tungsten-halogen halogen bulbs, and LED illuminators. 

Tungsten-halogen bulbs can become hot during use. By comparison, fluorescent and LED lighting systems emit low heat, which makes them better choices for viewing samples that may be affected by the environment.

3. The Stage

A mechanical stage is usually a better choice than a manual one, especially when viewing at high magnifications. Mechanical stages allow easier slide adjustment in a fine differential, making the tracking of moving organisms more effective.

4. Digital Microscopes

Digital microscopes can be compound or stereo. They allow users to capture video or still images for display on a computer. These microscopes contain software for zoom, time-lapse photography, editing, and special effects.

5. Compound or Stereo?

The choice between a compound or stereo microscope depends on what you’ll be viewing. Stereo microscopes are used to view larger 3-D objects like insects, minerals, or mechanical pieces. Compound microscopes are better suited for applications involving high magnification for forensic or biology labs, such as viewing tissue samples and cells.

Compound microscopes can be monocular or binocular, and usually feature several objective lenses that can be selected to increase magnification. 

Stereo microscopes are a popular choice for the classroom and the hobbyist because they’re easier to set up and use. However, for the close-up magnification required in most laboratory settings, a compound microscope is the better choice. 

6. Chromatic Aberration Correction

The most common objective for lab microscopes is the achromatic objective. These are corrected for aberrations in the blue and red wavelengths and are also spherically corrected for green. While the most affordable option, its limited correction can lead to artifacts. Note that If the objective isn’t specified, it is achromatic.

Semi-apochromats, or fluorites, are the second objectives on this list. While more expensive than achromatic objectives, they have additional spherical corrections for blue. Fluorites are a better choice for recording and color viewing.

Apochromats are the most expensive objective, but they’re the most highly corrected of the three options. These are chromatically adjusted for blues and dark blues, red, and green. They’re spherically corrected for blue, deep blue, and green. The apochromatic is by far the superior choice for color viewing.

Look for objectives that boast plan correction, as these offer a 90% flat display for a larger field of vision.

New or Used?

One consideration when buying your microscope is price. If your budget is more limited, you can purchase a refurbished, used microscope from BaneBio. We can even purchase your older microscope, or take it in trade for your new purchase. 

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. With over 14 years of experience, we have the expertise to help you choose the perfect microscope for your lab and your teams.