Cleaning lenses

[Mike Tighe]

Since you are all on this subject. What would you recommend cleaning objectives with? I have always used absolute ETOH. Is there any reason this would harm the objectives? Is there something better?

[Chris Tully]

Mike,

I have worked for both Nikon and Leica dealerships and both manufacturers recommend Sparkle glass cleaner for standard every day clean up and a progression to more aggressive solvents if the lens becomes too dirty to clean with Sparkle.  Another option is First Contact (a paint on rubber cement like substance that was originally designed for cleaning front surface mirrors for telescopes,  see http://www.photoniccleaning.com for details).  Rather than dissolving contaminants, it traps them physically and pulls them off the surface when it is pealed off.

Chris

P.S. If anyone knows of a microscopy or image analysis position opening in the Research Triangle Park, NC area, I would be happy to apply.  Please let me know!

Chris Tully
Microscopy and Image Analysis Expert
[hidden email]
240-888-1021
http://www.linkedin.com/in/christully

On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 3:40 PM, Mike Tighe <[hidden email]> wrote:

Since you are all on this subject. What would you recommend cleaning objectives with? I have always used absolute ETOH. Is there any reason this would harm the objectives? Is there something better?

[Dan Focht]

All

There are numerous cleaning agents that can be used on microscope objectives.  To me, after the cleaning, it is most important that the residue is completely removed and you use the right paper.  Burkshire paper company makes a very soft lens paper that does not leave lint.  It is called Lens X 90.  

http://www.berkshire.com/lensx90.shtml

I have no interest in the company, I just have used this product for about 30 years. 

Once you use this paper you can see why I would not use anything else.

Dan

On Mar 27, 2009, at 3:40 PM, Mike Tighe wrote:

Since you are all on this subject. What would you recommend cleaning objectives with? I have always used absolute ETOH. Is there any reason this would harm the objectives? Is there something better?

Dan Focht

Bioptechs

724-282-7145

www.bioptechs.com

[Keith Morris]

Apparently ethanol [and acetone] is a poor choice for cleaning oil
objectives and does damage the lens cement after very frequent use
[particularly with older microscopes]. The Zeiss engineer's used to use high
grade Ether [which I still do if it's essential to clean]. But health and
safety [carrying it about on the bus] meant they switched - Zeiss will sell
a bottle of what they now use now, some sort of industrial petroleum spirit
solvent [forgotten what it is, the engineer did tell me].

http://www.zeiss.com/C1256F8500454979/0/F9B766E00E70F4C4C1256F8D0054FFF8/$fi
le/thecleanmicroscope.pdf

However "The issue of the use of solvents is complicated, and is confused by
contradictory recommendations in the scientific literature, as well as by
differences in manufacturers' technical publications."

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/anatomy/cleaning.html

Older immersion oil can get more viscous [as well as probably more acidic]
with storage after opening and so becomes more difficult to remove, so
replace the bottle if it's not used for years. The advise I found was don't
rub hard when cleaning, but soak for a few seconds and then draw off the
solvent/solution.

Keith

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Keith J. Morris,
Molecular Cytogenetics and Microscopy Core,
Laboratory 00/069 and 00/070,
The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics,
Roosevelt Drive,
Oxford  OX3 7BN,
United Kingdom.

Telephone:  [phone]
Email:  [hidden email]
Web-pages: http://www.well.ox.ac.uk/cytogenetics/
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On
Behalf Of Mike Tighe
Sent: 27 March 2009 19:41
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Cleaning lenses

Since you are all on this subject. What would you recommend cleaning
objectives with? I have always used absolute ETOH. Is there any reason this
would harm the objectives? Is there something better?

[anh2006]

What is the preferred commercial lens cleaner?

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