Cotton wool for lens cleaning

[Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.]

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Dear list,

The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the  objectives of our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope) using lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed, however, that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments tend to use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same material as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to service our lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than myself using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my maintenance efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to check in with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights or advice before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might contribute to premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use either Glass Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,

Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
Microscopy Specialist
Imaging Facility
McGill University Life Sciences Complex
Francesco Bellini Building
3649 Sir William Osler
Suite 137
Montreal, QC
H3G 0B1
tel.:  [phone]
fax:  [phone]
[hidden email]
http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

[Neil Kad]

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Hi Aleksandrs,

In my place we routinely use Q-tips, now I mean Q-tips and not any other brand. We have gone through many different swabs but nothing compares. I now work in the UK where Q-tips are unavailable so I have to import them at great expense from the US!

We clean up residual oil with one end and then mop up with a sparsely methanol soaked tip at the other end. So far I've not seen any degradation.

Cheers

Neil

Come to our Biochemical Society Focused meeting:

http://www.biochemistry.org/MeetingNo/SA118/view/Conference/

=================================
Neil M. Kad PhD.,
Lecturer in Biological Sciences,
University of Essex,
Colchester,
Essex CO4 3SQ,
United Kingdom.

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://www.essex.ac.uk/bs/motor_protein/
=================================

> Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400
> From: [hidden email]
> Subject: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
> To: [hidden email]
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Dear list,
>
> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the  objectives of our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope) using lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed, however, that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments tend to use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same material as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to service our lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than myself using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my maintenance efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to check in with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights or advice before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might contribute to premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use either Glass Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
> Microscopy Specialist
> Imaging Facility
> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
> Francesco Bellini Building
> 3649 Sir William Osler
> Suite 137
> Montreal, QC
> H3G 0B1
> tel.:  [phone]
> fax:  [phone]
> [hidden email]
> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

     

[Daniel James White]

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On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:16 AM, CONFOCALMICROSCOPY automatic digest system wrote:

>
> Date:    Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400
> From:    "Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr." <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=3Dconfocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Dear list,
>
> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the  objective=
> s of our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)=
> using lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed, ho=
> wever, that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instrument=
> s tend to use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the sa=
> me material as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to=
> service our lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) =
> than myself using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my mai=
> ntenance efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wante=
> d to check in with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, i=
> nsights or advice before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton mi=
> ght contribute to premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents=
> , I use either Glass Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.

Here is what we do...

https://ifn.mpi-cbg.de/wiki/ifn/index.php/Clean_objective_lens

Zeiss and API both use clean cotton wool wrapped onto a wooden stick,
self made or commercial versions.

If you use these, then only roll the cotton wool over the glass surface - NO SCRUBBING or other aggressive scraping or gouging.
Finish off the cleaning using a quality lens cleaning tissue paper - never a kim wipe etc.  (contains particles of hard minerals)
with 70& ethanol or 4:1 Ether:Ethanol.

Some like to use chloroform... but we can't use it outside a fume hood, so its not an option.

For Water dipping lenses that go into PBS or other buffers use a tris pH8 buffered 0.5 M EDTA / EGTA solution to dissolve Ca-phosophate residues
BEFORE you use a cotton bud or tissue.

I find that using a stereo microscope with a ring light around the stereo scope's objective
is the only way to really see of the glass surface of the lens is clean.

You have to look at it with some magnification with angled illumination to see the dirt.

cheers

Dan

>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
> Microscopy Specialist
> Imaging Facility
> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
> Francesco Bellini Building
> 3649 Sir William Osler
> Suite 137
> Montreal, QC
> H3G 0B1
> tel.:  [phone]
> fax:  [phone]
> [hidden email]
> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

Dr. Daniel James White BSc. (Hons.) PhD
Senior Microscopist / Image Visualisation, Processing and Analysis
Light Microscopy and Image Processing Facilities
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Pfotenhauerstrasse 108
01307 DRESDEN
Germany

[phone] (German Mobile)
[phone] (Work phone at MPI-CBG)
[phone] (Fax MPI-CBG LMF)

http://www.bioimagexd.net  BioImageXD
http://pacific.mpi-cbg.de                Fiji -  is just ImageJ (Batteries Included)
http://www.chalkie.org.uk                Dan's Homepages
https://ifn.mpi-cbg.de  Dresden Imaging Facility Network
dan (at) chalkie.org.uk
( white (at) mpi-cbg.de )

[JOEL B. SHEFFIELD]

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Colleagues,

I would like to report on a discovery that we have made concerning lens
cleaning.  In our teaching labs,  we have a particularly difficult problem
with 40x dry lenses that are routinely dipped into oil by inexperienced
students.  These lenses have a small meniscus front lens element that is
very difficult to clean with the conventional methods listed so far.
Recently, during a trip to a supermarket, I came across microfiber cleaning
cloths designed for glass cleaning that are 80% Polyester and 20% Nylon.
The surface of the cloths is tufted, with a fine pile that enters the
meniscus and It turns out that the combination of fibers sucks up oil
without the need for any other solvents, leaving the lenses remarkably
clean.

In the past, we have had to remove the lenses to clean them.  Now, we can
leave them on the scope and essentially wipe them clean.

Joel


On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Daniel James White <[hidden email]>wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:16 AM, CONFOCALMICROSCOPY automatic digest system
> wrote:
>
> >
> > Date:    Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400
> > From:    "Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr." <[hidden email]>
> > Subject: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
> >
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=3Dconfocalmicroscopy
> > *****
> >
> > Dear list,
> >
> > The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the
>  objective=
> > s of our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each
> scope)=
> > using lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed,
> ho=
> > wever, that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our
> instrument=
> > s tend to use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the
> sa=
> > me material as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able
> to=
> > service our lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker)
> =
> > than myself using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my
> mai=
> > ntenance efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but
> wante=
> > d to check in with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences,
> i=
> > nsights or advice before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton
> mi=
> > ght contribute to premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning
> solvents=
> > , I use either Glass Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>
> Here is what we do...
>
> https://ifn.mpi-cbg.de/wiki/ifn/index.php/Clean_objective_lens
>
> Zeiss and API both use clean cotton wool wrapped onto a wooden stick,
> self made or commercial versions.
>
> If you use these, then only roll the cotton wool over the glass surface -
> NO SCRUBBING or other aggressive scraping or gouging.
> Finish off the cleaning using a quality lens cleaning tissue paper - never
> a kim wipe etc.  (contains particles of hard minerals)
> with 70& ethanol or 4:1 Ether:Ethanol.
>
> Some like to use chloroform... but we can't use it outside a fume hood, so
> its not an option.
>
> For Water dipping lenses that go into PBS or other buffers use a tris pH8
> buffered 0.5 M EDTA / EGTA solution to dissolve Ca-phosophate residues
> BEFORE you use a cotton bud or tissue.
>
> I find that using a stereo microscope with a ring light around the stereo
> scope's objective
> is the only way to really see of the glass surface of the lens is clean.
>
> You have to look at it with some magnification with angled illumination to
> see the dirt.
>
> cheers
>
> Dan
>
>
>
>
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
> > Microscopy Specialist
> > Imaging Facility
> > McGill University Life Sciences Complex
> > Francesco Bellini Building
> > 3649 Sir William Osler
> > Suite 137
> > Montreal, QC
> > H3G 0B1
> > tel.:  [phone]
> > fax:  [phone]
> > [hidden email]
> > http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/
>
> Dr. Daniel James White BSc. (Hons.) PhD
> Senior Microscopist / Image Visualisation, Processing and Analysis
> Light Microscopy and Image Processing Facilities
> Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
> Pfotenhauerstrasse 108
> 01307 DRESDEN
> Germany
>
> [phone] (German Mobile)
> [phone] (Work phone at MPI-CBG)
> [phone] (Fax MPI-CBG LMF)
>
> http://www.bioimagexd.net       BioImageXD
> http://pacific.mpi-cbg.de               Fiji -  is just ImageJ (Batteries
> Included)
> http://www.chalkie.org.uk               Dan's Homepages
> https://ifn.mpi-cbg.de                  Dresden Imaging Facility Network
> dan (at) chalkie.org.uk
> ( white (at) mpi-cbg.de )
>

--


Joel B. Sheffield, Ph.D
Department of Biology
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Voice: 215 204 8839
e-mail: [hidden email]
URL:  http://astro.temple.edu/~jbs

[Martin Wessendorf-2]

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Joel--

Can you provide the brand-name for the product?

Thanks--

Martin

On 3/16/2011 1:10 PM, JOEL B. SHEFFIELD wrote:

>
> Colleagues,
>
> I would like to report on a discovery that we have made concerning lens
> cleaning.  In our teaching labs,  we have a particularly difficult problem
> with 40x dry lenses that are routinely dipped into oil by inexperienced
> students.  These lenses have a small meniscus front lens element that is
> very difficult to clean with the conventional methods listed so far.
> Recently, during a trip to a supermarket, I came across microfiber cleaning
> cloths designed for glass cleaning that are 80% Polyester and 20% Nylon.
> The surface of the cloths is tufted, with a fine pile that enters the
> meniscus and It turns out that the combination of fibers sucks up oil
> without the need for any other solvents, leaving the lenses remarkably
> clean.
>
> In the past, we have had to remove the lenses to clean them.  Now, we can
> leave them on the scope and essentially wipe them clean.
>
> Joel

--
Martin Wessendorf, Ph.D.                   office: [phone]
Assoc Prof, Dept Neuroscience                 lab: [phone]
University of Minnesota             Preferred FAX: [phone]
6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St. SE    Dept Fax: [phone]
Minneapolis, MN  55455                    e-mail: [hidden email]

[McDonald, David L]

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We use the adhesive free cotton tipped swabs from Puritan.  They are
available from VWR, catalog# 10806-005.

Dave
 

Dave McDonald
Scientific Imaging Lab
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Avenue North, DE-512
Seattle, WA 98109
206-667-4205


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Neil Kad
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 2:58 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
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Hi Aleksandrs,

In my place we routinely use Q-tips, now I mean Q-tips and not any other
brand. We have gone through many different swabs but nothing compares. I
now work in the UK where Q-tips are unavailable so I have to import them
at great expense from the US!

We clean up residual oil with one end and then mop up with a sparsely
methanol soaked tip at the other end. So far I've not seen any
degradation.

Cheers

Neil

Come to our Biochemical Society Focused meeting:

http://www.biochemistry.org/MeetingNo/SA118/view/Conference/

=================================
Neil M. Kad PhD.,
Lecturer in Biological Sciences,
University of Essex,
Colchester,
Essex CO4 3SQ,
United Kingdom.

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://www.essex.ac.uk/bs/motor_protein/
=================================

> Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400
> From: [hidden email]
> Subject: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
> To: [hidden email]
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Dear list,
>
> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the

objectives of our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for
each scope) using lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I
had noticed, however, that the field service technicians who run the PMs
on our instruments tend to use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to
be essentially the same material as your basic 100% cotton ball in the
pharmacy) and are able to service our lenses in a much more efficient
manner (read: waayyy quicker) than myself using my current methods.  In
the interests of improving my maintenance efficiency, I've been
considering trying this out myself but wanted to check in with the list
to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights or advice before
proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might contribute to
premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use either
Glass Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.

>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
> Microscopy Specialist
> Imaging Facility
> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
> Francesco Bellini Building
> 3649 Sir William Osler
> Suite 137
> Montreal, QC
> H3G 0B1
> tel.:  [phone]
> fax:  [phone]
> [hidden email]
> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

     

[JOEL B. SHEFFIELD]

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Sure.  I was a little embarrassed.  The company is "Quickie", based in
Pennsauken, New Jersey.  They make, or distribute many cleaning supplies.
You can reach them at [hidden email].  Here's a link to the product.
http://quickie.com/Public/Products/Default.aspx?UID=&ProductCategoryId=81&ProductId=338

On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 2:12 PM, Martin Wessendorf <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Joel--
>
> Can you provide the brand-name for the product?
>
> Thanks--
>
> Martin
>
>
> On 3/16/2011 1:10 PM, JOEL B. SHEFFIELD wrote:
>
>>
>> Colleagues,
>>
>> I would like to report on a discovery that we have made concerning lens
>> cleaning.  In our teaching labs,  we have a particularly difficult problem
>> with 40x dry lenses that are routinely dipped into oil by inexperienced
>> students.  These lenses have a small meniscus front lens element that is
>> very difficult to clean with the conventional methods listed so far.
>> Recently, during a trip to a supermarket, I came across microfiber
>> cleaning
>> cloths designed for glass cleaning that are 80% Polyester and 20% Nylon.
>> The surface of the cloths is tufted, with a fine pile that enters the
>> meniscus and It turns out that the combination of fibers sucks up oil
>> without the need for any other solvents, leaving the lenses remarkably
>> clean.
>>
>> In the past, we have had to remove the lenses to clean them.  Now, we can
>> leave them on the scope and essentially wipe them clean.
>>
>> Joel
>>
>
> --
> Martin Wessendorf, Ph.D.                   office: [phone]
> Assoc Prof, Dept Neuroscience                 lab: [phone]
> University of Minnesota             Preferred FAX: [phone]
> 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St. SE    Dept Fax: [phone]
> Minneapolis, MN  55455                    e-mail: [hidden email]
>

--


Joel B. Sheffield, Ph.D
Department of Biology
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Voice: 215 204 8839
e-mail: [hidden email]
URL:  http://astro.temple.edu/~jbs

[Cheng, Ji-xin]

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Registration is now open for the Multimodal Nonlinear Optical Microscopy Workshop
July 14 - 16, 2011
Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University

This will be the first workshop that various modalities of nonlinear optical microscopy are introduced in a one-day symposium and practiced on state-of-the-art microscopes. Cutting-edge developments and applications will be shown by lectures on July 14. Hands-on training will be provided on July 15 to assist the trainees to build and/or use nonlinear optical microscopy. As an optional opportunity, the trainees can test their own samples on the morning of July 16.

Lectures will be given by the following leaders and experts:
Professor Sunney Xie (keynote), Harvard University, "Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy: Instrumentation and Application"
Professor Paul Campagnola, University of Wisconsin at Madison, "Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy: Instrumentation and Applications"
Professor Eric Potma, UC Irvine, "Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering and Four-Wave Mixing Microscopy"
Professor Kenneth Dunn, Indiana University School of Medicine, "Multiphoton Microscopy for In Vivo Imaging"
Professor Chris Xu, Cornell University, "Deep Tissue Imaging and Multiphoton Endoscopy"
Professor Ji-Xin Cheng, Purdue University, "Multimodal NLO Microscopy: Instrumentation and Applications"
Professor Garth Simpson, Purdue University, "Quantitative SHG Microscopy and Crystallization Imaging"
Professor Michael Sturek, Indiana University School of Medicine, "Bond-selective Imaging of Atherosclerosis"

The lab section will be performed on state-of-the-art NLO imaging setups, including FV1000 microscopes, APE OPO pumped by Chameleon, Inspire OPO pumped by Mai Tai, and PCF fiber. Topics include ex vivo imaging of tissues, fingerprint spectral analysis, and in vivo multimodal NLO imaging.

Applicants from academia, government, and industry from all countries are welcome.  Registration deadline is Friday, June 17, 2011.  Online registration can be found at www.conf.purdue.edu/nlo.

We hope to see you this summer at Purdue!

Ji-Xin Cheng, Associate Professor
Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry Purdue University
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
https://engineering.purdue.edu/BME/Research/Labs/Cheng
http://www.chem.purdue.edu/jcheng/

Sponsored by Purdue University Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Bindley Bioscience Center, Olympus Inc, Coherent, and Newport/Spectra-Physics

[Stanislav Vitha]

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Hi Aleksandrs,

I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching them.
 I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to my LM
course students.

1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as a last
resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because it could
contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex over a lens
could possibly ruin it!
2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few drops of
ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so that
the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens surface. In
this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because the
lens is recessed.
3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat the ether
wash if necessary.
4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then chloroform,
then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1 mixture of
water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an ether
wash.
5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above solvents
on a clean Q-tip.


Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive peroxides), I
just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one through our
Hazardous Waste program.

Stan Vitha
Microscopy and Imaging Center
Texas A&M University

On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
<[hidden email]> wrote:

>Dear list,
>
>The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the  objectives of
our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope) using
lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed, however,
that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments tend to
use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same material
as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to service our
lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than myself
using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my maintenance
efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to check in
with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights or advice
before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might contribute to
premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use either Glass
Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.

>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>Microscopy Specialist
>Imaging Facility
>McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>Francesco Bellini Building
>3649 Sir William Osler
>Suite 137
>Montreal, QC
>H3G 0B1
>tel.:  [phone]
>fax:  [phone]
>[hidden email]
>http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

[Zoltan]

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Dear All,

The one thing I noticed from the original post, but hasn't been commented
upon yet:  the original poster only cleans the lenses every 2-3 MONTHS.  I
find this very infrequent, we clean and check our lenses at least once every
two weeks, and would be much happier if we could afford the time to do this
weekly.   How often do the others do this?
  BTW, we also use cotton buds (Q-Tips or similar) with isopropanol on Leica
oil lenses, or water and then ethanol on water lenses, whilst observing the
front surface via either an inverted ocular or a small prep-scope.    We
also check the back surface, usually nothing to clean there, although once I
found  a big, greasy fingerprint on the back lens of a 20x multi-immersion
Leica objective!
  I would be very interested in hearing from you all about how you compare
the quality of various brands of cotton buds?  Amongst other properties, I
e.g. look for proper softness (not too soft or hard when dipped into
isopropanol e.g.), and for one that leaves no residual fibers.  What do
others look for in their chosen cotton brand(s)?
  Thanks, and best wishes to all,

Zoltan


MDC-Berlin
Confocal and 2-Photon Core Facility




On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 11:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]>wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Hi Aleksandrs,
>
> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching them.
>  I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to my
> LM
> course students.
>
> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as a
> last
> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because it
> could
> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex over a
> lens
> could possibly ruin it!
> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few
> drops of
> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so that
> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens
> surface. In
> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because the
> lens is recessed.
> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat the
> ether
> wash if necessary.
> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then
> chloroform,
> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1
> mixture of
> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an ether
> wash.
> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above
> solvents
> on a clean Q-tip.
>
>
> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive peroxides), I
> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one through
> our
> Hazardous Waste program.
>
> Stan Vitha
> Microscopy and Imaging Center
> Texas A&M University
>
> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> >Dear list,
> >
> >The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the
>  objectives of
> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)
> using
> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed, however,
> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments tend
> to
> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same
> material
> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to service our
> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than myself
> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my maintenance
> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to
> check in
> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights or
> advice
> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might contribute to
> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use either
> Glass
> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
> >
> >Thanks in advance.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
> >Microscopy Specialist
> >Imaging Facility
> >McGill University Life Sciences Complex
> >Francesco Bellini Building
> >3649 Sir William Osler
> >Suite 137
> >Montreal, QC
> >H3G 0B1
> >tel.:  [phone]
> >fax:  [phone]
> >[hidden email]
> >http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/
>

--

Zoltan Cseresnyes

--------------------------------------------
Q: Why is this email four sentences or less?
A: http://four.sentenc.es

[Nina Allen]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Long ago we taught using ether in the fashion described here.  Ether is very flammable.  It is also not good for you.
So even if it works well it is not a recommended method.

Nina Allen
Professor Emerita
Department of Plant Biology
North Carolina State University

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Hi Aleksandrs,
>
> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching them.
> I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to my LM
> course students.
>
> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as a last
> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because it could
> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex over a lens
> could possibly ruin it!
> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few drops of
> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so that
> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens surface. In
> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because the
> lens is recessed.
> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat the ether
> wash if necessary.
> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then chloroform,
> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1 mixture of
> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an ether
> wash.
> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above solvents
> on a clean Q-tip.
>
>
> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive peroxides), I
> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one through our
> Hazardous Waste program.
>
> Stan Vitha
> Microscopy and Imaging Center
> Texas A&M University
>
> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Dear list,
>>
>> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the  objectives of
> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope) using
> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed, however,
> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments tend to
> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same material
> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to service our
> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than myself
> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my maintenance
> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to check in
> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights or advice
> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might contribute to
> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use either Glass
> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>> Microscopy Specialist
>> Imaging Facility
>> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>> Francesco Bellini Building
>> 3649 Sir William Osler
>> Suite 137
>> Montreal, QC
>> H3G 0B1
>> tel.:  [phone]
>> fax:  [phone]
>> [hidden email]
>> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

[Guy Cox-2]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Are you certain about ether being toxic?  I seem to remember reading
that ether was just about the safest anaesthetic there is, and the only
reason it isn't used more widely is its flammability.

 

                                                  Guy

 

Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
______________________________________________
Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
University of Sydney, NSW 2006
______________________________________________
Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
Mobile [phone]
______________________________________________
      http://www.guycox.net
 

________________________________

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Nina Allen
Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:23 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

 

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Long ago we taught using ether in the fashion described here.  Ether is
very flammable.  It is also not good for you.
So even if it works well it is not a recommended method.

Nina Allen
Professor Emerita
Department of Plant Biology
North Carolina State University

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Hi Aleksandrs,
>
> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching
them.
> I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to
my LM
> course students.
>
> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as
a last
> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because
it could
> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex
over a lens
> could possibly ruin it!
> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few
drops of
> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so
that
> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens
surface. In
> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because
the
> lens is recessed.
> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat
the ether
> wash if necessary.
> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then
chloroform,
> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1
mixture of
> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an
ether
> wash.
> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above
solvents
> on a clean Q-tip.
>
>
> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive
peroxides), I
> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one
through our

> Hazardous Waste program.
>
> Stan Vitha
> Microscopy and Imaging Center
> Texas A&M University
>
> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Dear list,
>>
>> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the

objectives of
> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)
using
> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed,
however,
> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments
tend to
> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same
material
> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to
service our
> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than
myself
> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my
maintenance
> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to
check in
> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights
or advice
> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might
contribute to
> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use
either Glass

> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>> Microscopy Specialist
>> Imaging Facility
>> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>> Francesco Bellini Building
>> 3649 Sir William Osler
>> Suite 137
>> Montreal, QC
>> H3G 0B1
>> tel.:  [phone]
>> fax:  [phone]
>> [hidden email]
>> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

________________________________

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11

[Ray Gilbert]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

From the MSDS

        Extremely flammable liquid and vapour
 
    *  Harmful if swallowed
 
    *  Causes mild skin irritation
 
    *  Causes serious eye irritation
 
    *  Harmful to terrestrial vertebrates


Thanks

Ray


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Guy Cox
Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 3:29 p.m.
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Are you certain about ether being toxic?  I seem to remember reading
that ether was just about the safest anaesthetic there is, and the only
reason it isn't used more widely is its flammability.

 

                                                  Guy

 

Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
______________________________________________
Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
University of Sydney, NSW 2006
______________________________________________
Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
Mobile [phone]
______________________________________________
      http://www.guycox.net
 

________________________________

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Nina Allen
Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:23 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

 

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Long ago we taught using ether in the fashion described here.  Ether is
very flammable.  It is also not good for you.
So even if it works well it is not a recommended method.

Nina Allen
Professor Emerita
Department of Plant Biology
North Carolina State University

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Hi Aleksandrs,
>
> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching
them.
> I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to
my LM
> course students.
>
> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as
a last
> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because
it could
> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex
over a lens
> could possibly ruin it!
> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few
drops of
> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so
that
> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens
surface. In
> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because
the
> lens is recessed.
> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat
the ether
> wash if necessary.
> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then
chloroform,
> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1
mixture of
> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an
ether
> wash.
> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above
solvents
> on a clean Q-tip.
>
>
> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive
peroxides), I
> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one
through our

> Hazardous Waste program.
>
> Stan Vitha
> Microscopy and Imaging Center
> Texas A&M University
>
> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Dear list,
>>
>> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the

objectives of
> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)
using
> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed,
however,
> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments
tend to
> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same
material
> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to
service our
> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than
myself
> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my
maintenance
> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to
check in
> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights
or advice
> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might
contribute to
> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use
either Glass

> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>> Microscopy Specialist
>> Imaging Facility
>> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>> Francesco Bellini Building
>> 3649 Sir William Osler
>> Suite 137
>> Montreal, QC
>> H3G 0B1
>> tel.:  [phone]
>> fax:  [phone]
>> [hidden email]
>> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

________________________________

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11

[Guy Cox-2]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

In other words, pretty innocuous if inhaled.  (Unless it puts you out
and you hit your head on the microscope!)

 

                                                 Guy

 

Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
______________________________________________
Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
University of Sydney, NSW 2006
______________________________________________
Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
Mobile [phone]
______________________________________________
      http://www.guycox.net
 

________________________________

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Ray Gilbert
Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 1:38 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

 

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

From the MSDS

        Extremely flammable liquid and vapour

    *  Harmful if swallowed

    *  Causes mild skin irritation

    *  Causes serious eye irritation

    *  Harmful to terrestrial vertebrates


Thanks

Ray


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Guy Cox
Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 3:29 p.m.
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Are you certain about ether being toxic?  I seem to remember reading
that ether was just about the safest anaesthetic there is, and the only
reason it isn't used more widely is its flammability.



                                                  Guy



Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
______________________________________________
Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
University of Sydney, NSW 2006
______________________________________________
Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
Mobile [phone]
______________________________________________
      http://www.guycox.net
 

________________________________

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Nina Allen
Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:23 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning



*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Long ago we taught using ether in the fashion described here.  Ether is
very flammable.  It is also not good for you.
So even if it works well it is not a recommended method.

Nina Allen
Professor Emerita
Department of Plant Biology
North Carolina State University

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Hi Aleksandrs,
>
> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching
them.
> I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to
my LM
> course students.
>
> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as
a last
> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because
it could
> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex
over a lens
> could possibly ruin it!
> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few
drops of
> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so
that
> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens
surface. In
> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because
the
> lens is recessed.
> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat
the ether
> wash if necessary.
> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then
chloroform,
> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1
mixture of
> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an
ether
> wash.
> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above
solvents
> on a clean Q-tip.
>
>
> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive
peroxides), I
> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one
through our

> Hazardous Waste program.
>
> Stan Vitha
> Microscopy and Imaging Center
> Texas A&M University
>
> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Dear list,
>>
>> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the

objectives of
> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)
using
> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed,
however,
> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments
tend to
> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same
material
> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to
service our
> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than
myself
> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my
maintenance
> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to
check in
> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights
or advice
> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might
contribute to
> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use
either Glass

> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>> Microscopy Specialist
>> Imaging Facility
>> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>> Francesco Bellini Building
>> 3649 Sir William Osler
>> Suite 137
>> Montreal, QC
>> H3G 0B1
>> tel.:  [phone]
>> fax:  [phone]
>> [hidden email]
>> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/

________________________________

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11

________________________________

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11

[Nina Allen]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

You are right re ether.
There was a study , now discredited, that nurse anesthetists had more miscarriages.  
My daughter, the anesthesiologist, tells me explosions is the danger.  There is one reputable report that glycol ether used for cleaning in factories will cause miscarriage increase.  Just don't breathe too much and faint.
If pregnant don't use it to be on the safe side.

Nina Allen
Professor Emerita
Department of Plant Biology
North Carolina State University

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2011, at 10:44 PM, Guy Cox <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> In other words, pretty innocuous if inhaled.  (Unless it puts you out
> and you hit your head on the microscope!)
>
>
>
>                                                 Guy
>
>
>
> Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
> by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
>     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
> ______________________________________________
> Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
> Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
> University of Sydney, NSW 2006
> ______________________________________________
> Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
> Mobile [phone]
> ______________________________________________
>      http://www.guycox.net
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Ray Gilbert
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 1:38 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
>
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> From the MSDS
>
>        Extremely flammable liquid and vapour
>
>    *  Harmful if swallowed
>
>    *  Causes mild skin irritation
>
>    *  Causes serious eye irritation
>
>    *  Harmful to terrestrial vertebrates
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Ray
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Guy Cox
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 3:29 p.m.
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Are you certain about ether being toxic?  I seem to remember reading
> that ether was just about the safest anaesthetic there is, and the only
> reason it isn't used more widely is its flammability.
>
>
>
>                                                  Guy
>
>
>
> Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
> by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
>     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
> ______________________________________________
> Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
> Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
> University of Sydney, NSW 2006
> ______________________________________________
> Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
> Mobile [phone]
> ______________________________________________
>      http://www.guycox.net
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Nina Allen
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:23 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
>
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Long ago we taught using ether in the fashion described here.  Ether is
> very flammable.  It is also not good for you.
> So even if it works well it is not a recommended method.
>
> Nina Allen
> Professor Emerita
> Department of Plant Biology
> North Carolina State University
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> *****
>>
>> Hi Aleksandrs,
>>
>> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching
> them.
>> I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to
> my LM
>> course students.
>>
>> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as
> a last
>> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because
> it could
>> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex
> over a lens
>> could possibly ruin it!
>> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few
> drops of
>> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so
> that
>> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens
> surface. In
>> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because
> the
>> lens is recessed.
>> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat
> the ether
>> wash if necessary.
>> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then
> chloroform,
>> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1
> mixture of
>> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an
> ether
>> wash.
>> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above
> solvents
>> on a clean Q-tip.
>>
>>
>> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive
> peroxides), I
>> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one
> through our
>> Hazardous Waste program.
>>
>> Stan Vitha
>> Microscopy and Imaging Center
>> Texas A&M University
>>
>> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
>> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear list,
>>>
>>> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the
> objectives of
>> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)
> using
>> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed,
> however,
>> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments
> tend to
>> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same
> material
>> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to
> service our
>> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than
> myself
>> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my
> maintenance
>> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to
> check in
>> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights
> or advice
>> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might
> contribute to
>> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use
> either Glass
>> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>>> Microscopy Specialist
>>> Imaging Facility
>>> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>>> Francesco Bellini Building
>>> 3649 Sir William Osler
>>> Suite 137
>>> Montreal, QC
>>> H3G 0B1
>>> tel.:  [phone]
>>> fax:  [phone]
>>> [hidden email]
>>> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/
>
> ________________________________
>
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11
>
> ________________________________
>
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11

[Scott, Mark]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

I must admit that I haven't had any reason to use anything other than traditional lens tissue for cleaning but was always under the impression that q-tips and cotton-wool balls were not going to damage the lens and it was more to avoid leaving cotton fibres on lenses than any damage they could do.

As for cleaning solutions I have always used iso-propanol for the harder to clean lenses since it doesn't leave streaks like some other solvents and as far as I can tell from the literature I have seen it doesn't have any detrimental effects on the lenses themselves (in fact most commercial products have some iso-propanol in them anyway).

Could be another option.


Mark Scott

FILM - Facility for Imaging by Light Microscopy
Senior Research Technician
Sir Alexander Fleming Building, desk 408
Imperial College London / South Kensington
Exhibition Road
London SW7 2AZ
UK
Tel: ++44(0)20-759-49793
E-mail: [hidden email]
Website: http://imperial.ac.uk/imagingfacility 



-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Nina Allen
Sent: 17 March 2011 03:26
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

You are right re ether.
There was a study , now discredited, that nurse anesthetists had more miscarriages.  
My daughter, the anesthesiologist, tells me explosions is the danger.  There is one reputable report that glycol ether used for cleaning in factories will cause miscarriage increase.  Just don't breathe too much and faint.
If pregnant don't use it to be on the safe side.

Nina Allen
Professor Emerita
Department of Plant Biology
North Carolina State University

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2011, at 10:44 PM, Guy Cox <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> In other words, pretty innocuous if inhaled.  (Unless it puts you out
> and you hit your head on the microscope!)
>
>
>
>                                                 Guy
>
>
>
> Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
> by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
>     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
> ______________________________________________
> Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
> Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
> University of Sydney, NSW 2006
> ______________________________________________
> Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
> Mobile [phone]
> ______________________________________________
>      http://www.guycox.net
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Ray Gilbert
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 1:38 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
>
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> From the MSDS
>
>        Extremely flammable liquid and vapour
>
>    *  Harmful if swallowed
>
>    *  Causes mild skin irritation
>
>    *  Causes serious eye irritation
>
>    *  Harmful to terrestrial vertebrates
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Ray
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Guy Cox
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 3:29 p.m.
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Are you certain about ether being toxic?  I seem to remember reading
> that ether was just about the safest anaesthetic there is, and the only
> reason it isn't used more widely is its flammability.
>
>
>
>                                                  Guy
>
>
>
> Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
> by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
>     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
> ______________________________________________
> Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
> Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
> University of Sydney, NSW 2006
> ______________________________________________
> Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
> Mobile [phone]
> ______________________________________________
>      http://www.guycox.net
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Nina Allen
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:23 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
>
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Long ago we taught using ether in the fashion described here.  Ether is
> very flammable.  It is also not good for you.
> So even if it works well it is not a recommended method.
>
> Nina Allen
> Professor Emerita
> Department of Plant Biology
> North Carolina State University
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> *****
>>
>> Hi Aleksandrs,
>>
>> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching
> them.
>> I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to
> my LM
>> course students.
>>
>> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as
> a last
>> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because
> it could
>> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex
> over a lens
>> could possibly ruin it!
>> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few
> drops of
>> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so
> that
>> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens
> surface. In
>> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because
> the
>> lens is recessed.
>> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat
> the ether
>> wash if necessary.
>> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then
> chloroform,
>> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1
> mixture of
>> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an
> ether
>> wash.
>> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above
> solvents
>> on a clean Q-tip.
>>
>>
>> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive
> peroxides), I
>> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one
> through our
>> Hazardous Waste program.
>>
>> Stan Vitha
>> Microscopy and Imaging Center
>> Texas A&M University
>>
>> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
>> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear list,
>>>
>>> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the
> objectives of
>> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)
> using
>> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed,
> however,
>> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments
> tend to
>> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same
> material
>> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to
> service our
>> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than
> myself
>> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my
> maintenance
>> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to
> check in
>> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights
> or advice
>> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might
> contribute to
>> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use
> either Glass
>> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>>> Microscopy Specialist
>>> Imaging Facility
>>> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>>> Francesco Bellini Building
>>> 3649 Sir William Osler
>>> Suite 137
>>> Montreal, QC
>>> H3G 0B1
>>> tel.:  [phone]
>>> fax:  [phone]
>>> [hidden email]
>>> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/
>
> ________________________________
>
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11
>
> ________________________________
>
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11

[Keith Morris]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

For lens cleaning Zeiss recommend ‘Zeiss cleaning mixture L’, which there
engineer’s now use since diethyl ether has been withdrawn from their kit
[over fears of solvent abuse and fire probably]. Cleaning Mixture L is 90%
by volume ‘benzoline’ [petroleum ether sometimes called medical alcohol] and
10% ‘isopropanol’ [2-proponal, dimethyl carbinol, 2-hydroxyproparne]. The
bottle says ‘Clean the optics by moving in circles, slight pressure should
be exerted on optics during cleaning’. Petroleum ether or spirit isn’t the
same as the diethyl ether solvent/anaesthetic often used to clean
objectives, but apparently it also does the job for Zeiss optics. I think I
am happy to take my chances with diethyl ether that has been successfully
used on humans with no apparent ill effects [assuming the anesthetist was
competent and not giving off sparks].

We use inverted optics here, and do a lot of live cell imaging. If the
spillage is culture medium a small amount of super pure de-ionised water as
a cleaner might be more suitable to dissolve salts, and I guess organic
solvents could fix any cellular material onto the lens. I'd be careful of
the water evaporating and leaving a residue - the purer the better, and I
use ether straight afterwards [although water is not particularly soluble in
ether]. Otherwise I just use diethyl ether as it dissolves immersion oil
more effectively than alcohol and is considered more lens cement friendly
than alcohol [probably as it evaporates off so fast]. For gentle cleaning
[rather than just wiping off excess immersion oil with Whatman 105s], I also
use Johnson and Johnson cotton buds as well that are '100% pure cotton'
apparently. Oldie but goldie Zeiss Engineers used to use diethyl ether and a
stick and bale of pure cotton wool and just twisted a bit off onto the stick
as they used it.

Immersion oil becomes more acidic during storage, which is harmful to
objectives [so replace stocks if they are a few years old]. For this reason
it would be a good idea to remove oil from objectives with ether prior to
any long term storage. If the objective is left on the microscope the
immersion oil doesn't need 'cleaning off' between users, just removal of any
excess to prevent dripping [immersion oil doesn't dry out]. I guess you only
need to thoroughly clean an objective if it's contaminated with something
else [and unfortunately you have to remove all the immersion oil to see if
the lens is 'clean' - I take off the objective and peer through it from the
rear looking at say a light fitting, using a quality illuminated magnifying
glass and reading glasses [I need the latter anyway].

There was a long thread on this subject back in March/April 2009 [search
'cleaning lens'] that has a lot of useful posts - so check those out. Back
then using Ether for cleaning the top objective lenses seemed to get the
most votes [benzene and toluene being rejected as really being too hazardous
to health]. Some even recommended 'Sparkle glass cleaner' [must be a US
product]. I do use 70% alcohol around the lens barrel for removing oil
contamination [a common problem with our inverted objectives, gravity and
low viscosity immersion oils working against us].

Regards

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/molecular-cytogenetics-and-microscopy


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On
Behalf Of Nina Allen
Sent: 17 March 2011 03:26
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

You are right re ether.
There was a study , now discredited, that nurse anesthetists had more
miscarriages.  
My daughter, the anesthesiologist, tells me explosions is the danger.  There
is one reputable report that glycol ether used for cleaning in factories
will cause miscarriage increase.  Just don't breathe too much and faint.
If pregnant don't use it to be on the safe side.

Nina Allen
Professor Emerita
Department of Plant Biology
North Carolina State University

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2011, at 10:44 PM, Guy Cox <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> In other words, pretty innocuous if inhaled.  (Unless it puts you out
> and you hit your head on the microscope!)
>
>
>
>                                                 Guy
>
>
>
> Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
> by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
>     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
> ______________________________________________
> Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
> Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
> University of Sydney, NSW 2006
> ______________________________________________
> Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
> Mobile [phone]
> ______________________________________________
>      http://www.guycox.net
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Ray Gilbert
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 1:38 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
>
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> From the MSDS
>
>        Extremely flammable liquid and vapour
>
>    *  Harmful if swallowed
>
>    *  Causes mild skin irritation
>
>    *  Causes serious eye irritation
>
>    *  Harmful to terrestrial vertebrates
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Ray
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Guy Cox
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 3:29 p.m.
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Are you certain about ether being toxic?  I seem to remember reading
> that ether was just about the safest anaesthetic there is, and the only
> reason it isn't used more widely is its flammability.
>
>
>
>                                                  Guy
>
>
>
> Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
> by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
>     http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
> ______________________________________________
> Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
> Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
> University of Sydney, NSW 2006
> ______________________________________________
> Phone [phone]     Fax [phone]
> Mobile [phone]
> ______________________________________________
>      http://www.guycox.net
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Nina Allen
> Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:23 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
>
>
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Long ago we taught using ether in the fashion described here.  Ether is
> very flammable.  It is also not good for you.
> So even if it works well it is not a recommended method.
>
> Nina Allen
> Professor Emerita
> Department of Plant Biology
> North Carolina State University
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 16, 2011, at 6:45 PM, Stanislav Vitha <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> *****
>>
>> Hi Aleksandrs,
>>
>> I like to use the method where you clean the lenses without touching
> them.
>> I learned this from Karl Aufderheide when he was showing this trick to
> my LM
>> course students.
>>
>> 1. Don't touch anything (even lens paper) to a lens surface except as
> a last
>> resort. Avoid especially commercial facial or bathroom tissue because
> it could
>> contain diatom frustules (glass!) as a filler. One pass of a kleenex
> over a lens
>> could possibly ruin it!
>> 2. Hold a piece of lens paper or other tissue over a lens. Place a few
> drops of
>> ethyl ether on the paper and draw the paper across the lens surface so
> that
>> the ether flows rapidly in a circular pattern over the recessed lens
> surface. In
>> this way, the ether contacts the lens but the paper does not, because
> the
>> lens is recessed.
>> 3. Inspect the lens using an inverted ocular as a magnifier. Repeat
> the ether
>> wash if necessary.
>> 4. If ether does not remove the dirt, try first distilled water, then
> chloroform,
>> then xylene or benzene, in that order. If all else fails, try a 1:1:1
> mixture of
>> water, alcohol and chloroform shaken just before use. Follow with an
> ether
>> wash.
>> 5. For stubborn dirt (e.g., on old student microscopes) use the above
> solvents
>> on a clean Q-tip.
>>
>>
>> Because of safety concerns with ether (formation of explosive
> peroxides), I
>> just get a fresh bottle every 6 months, and dispose of the old one
> through our
>> Hazardous Waste program.
>>
>> Stan Vitha
>> Microscopy and Imaging Center
>> Texas A&M University
>>
>> On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400, Aleksandrs Spurmanis, Mr.
>> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear list,
>>>
>>> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the
> objectives of
>> our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope)
> using
>> lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed,
> however,
>> that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments
> tend to
>> use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same
> material
>> as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to
> service our
>> lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than
> myself
>> using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my
> maintenance
>> efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to
> check in
>> with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights
> or advice
>> before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might
> contribute to
>> premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use
> either Glass
>> Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
>>> Microscopy Specialist
>>> Imaging Facility
>>> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
>>> Francesco Bellini Building
>>> 3649 Sir William Osler
>>> Suite 137
>>> Montreal, QC
>>> H3G 0B1
>>> tel.:  [phone]
>>> fax:  [phone]
>>> [hidden email]
>>> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/
>
> ________________________________
>
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3510 - Release Date: 03/16/11
>
> ________________________________
>
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[mcammer]

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I don't think there really is one general solvent.  When I began doing biological microscopy about 20 years ago the immersion oils all seemed to be made of the same stuff and easily cleaned with just about any organic solvent stronger than ethanol.  This is no longer the case.  For instance, the new Nikon oil for TIRF gets thick and is completely impervious to any of the aqueous cleaners.  It is resistant to what we practically considered to be the universal solvent of organics, acetone, and also to ethanol.  But dehydrated methanol works great.  On the other hand, the Zeiss oils, when fresh, clean up fine with their aqueous cleaning solutions and when old and dripped all over the turret and such, with acetone.  The old standby in the lab, Cargill Labs type DF, cleans up with any inorganic solvent.  Of course, in one lab the gospel was xylene because, well, we scientists tend to be superstitious or traditional.  As for ether, one benefit of using it, we were told years ago by someone at Zeiss, is that it evaporates so fast that it reduces the chances of dissolving the glue holding in the front glass of the objective.  Is this really a problem?  I've never had one of these front lenses come loose.  Now I tend to use 1:1 acetone/methanol and cotton swabs and/or lens tissue following in the footsteps of Spectraphysics service who uses this to clean their mirrors and gives us average power of a Watt with 100 fs pulses at 910-920 nm, so I follow by example.
-Michael Cammer

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[Mark Cannell]

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 From direct experience, I urge a note of caution with acetone, you  
may degrade the lens mounting glue and risk spreading it over the lens.

Regards Mark

On 17/03/2011, at 12:40 PM, Cammer, Michael wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> I don't think there really is one general solvent.  When I began  
> doing biological microscopy about 20 years ago the immersion oils  
> all seemed to be made of the same stuff and easily cleaned with just  
> about any organic solvent stronger than ethanol.  This is no longer  
> the case.  For instance, the new Nikon oil for TIRF gets thick and  
> is completely impervious to any of the aqueous cleaners.  It is  
> resistant to what we practically considered to be the universal  
> solvent of organics, acetone, and also to ethanol.  But dehydrated  
> methanol works great.  On the other hand, the Zeiss oils, when  
> fresh, clean up fine with their aqueous cleaning solutions and when  
> old and dripped all over the turret and such, with acetone.  The old  
> standby in the lab, Cargill Labs type DF, cleans up with any  
> inorganic solvent.  Of course, in one lab the gospel was xylene  
> because, well, we scientists tend to be superstitious or  
> traditional.  As for ether, one benefit of using it, we were told  
> years ago by someone at Zeiss, is that it evaporates so fast that it  
> reduces the chances of dissolving the glue holding in the front  
> glass of the objective.  Is this really a problem?  I've never had  
> one of these front lenses come loose.  Now I tend to use 1:1 acetone/
> methanol and cotton swabs and/or lens tissue following in the  
> footsteps of Spectraphysics service who uses this to clean their  
> mirrors and gives us average power of a Watt with 100 fs pulses at  
> 910-920 nm, so I follow by example.
> -Michael Cammer
>
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> of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is  
> proprietary, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under  
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[Keith Morris]

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Hi Michael,

The cement holding the top lens is easily damaged - small fissures develop
and the oil creeps behind the lens where it can't removed. You used to able
to send the objectives away to Zeiss for 'repair', but now that seems to
cost more than the objective. Our Zeiss 510 confocal 40x plan neofluar
apparently has some oil ingress but the image focuses adequately through it
[can't tell any difference really at that lower mag] - many probably carry
on not knowing it's happened [we mainly use the 63x Plan Apochromat for high
detail work anyway]. We lost one 20x air objective to cross contamination
oil ingress, and image quality was affected very badly in that case - I
expect the objective was previously damaged by impact. One microscopy core
manager did comment to me that he considers oil objectives a disposable item
as they can be damaged in a very busy multi-user facility. This problem is
probably more acute in cores like us where live cell is used and all
microscopes are in inverted configuration - with an upright the oil drops
off rather than in - although surface tension will draw the oil past the
cement if the cement does develop fissures. Inverted microscopes also suffer
far more from users crashing the objective into the stage etc.. [as you
can't see them too easily].

Regards

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/molecular-cytogenetics-and-microscopy


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On
Behalf Of Cammer, Michael
Sent: 17 March 2011 12:41
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

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I don't think there really is one general solvent.  When I began doing
biological microscopy about 20 years ago the immersion oils all seemed to be
made of the same stuff and easily cleaned with just about any organic
solvent stronger than ethanol.  This is no longer the case.  For instance,
the new Nikon oil for TIRF gets thick and is completely impervious to any of
the aqueous cleaners.  It is resistant to what we practically considered to
be the universal solvent of organics, acetone, and also to ethanol.  But
dehydrated methanol works great.  On the other hand, the Zeiss oils, when
fresh, clean up fine with their aqueous cleaning solutions and when old and
dripped all over the turret and such, with acetone.  The old standby in the
lab, Cargill Labs type DF, cleans up with any inorganic solvent.  Of course,
in one lab the gospel was xylene because, well, we scientists tend to be
superstitious or traditional.  As for ether, one benefit of using it, we
were told years ago by someone at Zeiss, is that it evaporates so fast that
it reduces the chances of dissolving the glue holding in the front glass of
the objective.  Is this really a problem?  I've never had one of these front
lenses come loose.  Now I tend to use 1:1 acetone/methanol and cotton swabs
and/or lens tissue following in the footsteps of Spectraphysics service who
uses this to clean their mirrors and gives us average power of a Watt with
100 fs pulses at 910-920 nm, so I follow by example.
-Michael Cammer

------------------------------------------------------------
This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the
intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is proprietary,
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unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you
have received this email in error please notify the sender by return email
and delete the original message. Please note, the recipient should check
this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The organization
accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this
email.
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