Confocal Microscopy List

Laser Care

Classic

List

Threaded

12 messages Options

Claire Brown

Laser Care

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

We were having a debate here about laser on and off time. I was wondering if there is any consensus on how long it takes to warm up an Ar ion laser, how long it should stay on and how long it should be left off before re-igniting. I had understood that turning the laser on reduces the lifetime a lot more than leaving it on. We currently have a policy that if the next user is coming within two hours to leave the laser on. Is there any issue with turning the laser on for a short period of time (less than one hour) and turning it off again?

I searched the list and did not see a lot of information on this in the past. I also could not easily find any information on the Melles-Griot web site. Are there any sources for a basic laser care guide or something of the sort?

Sincerely,

Claire

_________________________________________________________________

Claire M. Brown, PhD

Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director

McGill University Department of Biochemistry

http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging

******************************************* If you have any issues with this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:

Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email] 398-4400 x00795

To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to [hidden email] with the following text command within the body of the message:

signoff microscope-users

*******************************************

Craig Brideau

Re: Laser Care

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The general rule of thumb in our lab was 1/2 hour warmup, then maximum
3 hours 'hang' time between experiments without shutoff. Usually one
research would use it in the morning, then the laser would sit active
over lunch, then the second user would come in.

Craig

On Jan 8, 2008 9:26 AM, Claire Brown <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
>
>
> We were having a debate here about laser on and off time. I was wondering if
> there is any consensus on how long it takes to warm up an Ar ion laser, how
> long it should stay on and how long it should be left off before
> re-igniting. I had understood that turning the laser on reduces the lifetime
> a lot more than leaving it on. We currently have a policy that if the next
> user is coming within two hours to leave the laser on. Is there any issue
> with turning the laser on for a short period of time (less than one hour)
> and turning it off again?
>
>
>
> I searched the list and did not see a lot of information on this in the
> past. I also could not easily find any information on the Melles-Griot web
> site. Are there any sources for a basic laser care guide or something of the
> sort?
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> Claire
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> Claire M. Brown, PhD
>
> Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director
>
> McGill University Department of Biochemistry
>
> http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging
>
> ******************************************* If you have any issues with
> this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:
>
> Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email] 398-4400
> x00795
>
> To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to [hidden email]
> with the following text command within the body of the message:
>
> signoff microscope-users
>
> *******************************************

Julio Vazquez

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by Claire Brown

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal -

Hi Claire,

Can't find the reference, but I either read in the user manual, or heard somewhere that one ON/OFF cycle of our Air cooled Argon is equivalent to 4 hours of run time. I must add however that Ar lasers can be run at various power/current levels, which may also affect their stability and lifetime. We typically leave them ON between users, but run them at the lowest setting (stand-by).

As for warm-up time, this may depend on the particular laser, as I suspect there is a fair amount of variability between individual lasers. The best thing, and quite easy to do, is probably for you to measure it. You can use a fluorescent plexiglas slide, or other suitable stable sample, and run a time lapse (e.g. 30 minutes or so from start up). Using a mirror slide in reflected mode is even more sensitive, but may not work if you have some focus drift on your instrument. Perhaps even simpler, you can use your transmitted light detector as a power meter by collecting a transmitted light time-lapse series of images with no sample. This should show you how power ramps up and stabilizes during warm up, and reveal short and long term power stability of your particular laser. Also, you may want to run this experiment at different laser power settings (i.e. different current levels, NOT AOTF settings) to determine the levels at which your laser is most stable, and use those settings for imaging (since a typical 20 mW Ar laser has more than plenty of power for confocal applications, we typically run ours at about 25-40% max output and AOTF set at 3-5%). The lowest current you use for your laser, the longer the lifetime, or so I have been told...

Julio Vazquez, PhD

Director of Scientific Imaging

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

1100 Fairview Ave. N., mailstop DE-512

Seattle, WA 98109-1024

Tel: Office: 206-667-1215/ Lab: 206-667-4205

FAX: 206-667-6845

[hidden email]

http://www.fhcrc.org/science/shared_resources/imaging/

--------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER:

This message is confidential, intended only for the named recipient(s) and may contain information that is privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient(s), you are notified that the dissemination, distribution or copying of this information is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender then delete this message.

On Jan 8, 2008, at 8:26 AM, Claire Brown wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
We were having a debate here about laser on and off time. I was wondering if there is any consensus on how long it takes to warm up an Ar ion laser, how long it should stay on and how long it should be left off before re-igniting. I had understood that turning the laser on reduces the lifetime a lot more than leaving it on. We currently have a policy that if the next user is coming within two hours to leave the laser on. Is there any issue with turning the laser on for a short period of time (less than one hour) and turning it off again?

I searched the list and did not see a lot of information on this in the past. I also could not easily find any information on the Melles-Griot web site. Are there any sources for a basic laser care guide or something of the sort?

Sincerely,

Claire

_________________________________________________________________
Claire M. Brown, PhD
Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director
McGill University Department of Biochemistry
http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging

******************************************* If you have any issues with this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:
Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email] 398-4400 x00795
To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to [hidden email] with the following text command within the body of the message:
signoff microscope-users
*******************************************

George McNamara

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by Claire Brown

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal Hi Claire,

basic laser care guide and more - http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserfaq.htm

I turn my Zeiss LSM 510's Argon visible (~6.1 Amp, ~60% output), Argon UV (Coherent Enterprise I, ~21.6 amp, ~60% output), HeNe 543 and HeNe 633 on Monday morning, and usually turn them off Friday night. If a user tells me they plan to come in for experiments during the weekend, I leave the lasers on all weekend.

Early morning and overnight I run a timelapse 1 fpm, four different laser lines sequential scanning, to the transmitted light detector (ChD in Zeiss jargon). 10x lens, no specimen, 1.0 OD filter on top of the condenser unit (inverted scope), transmitted light field aperture open so it is inside the field of view and condenser (and/or objective) adjusted so the aperture is in focus, overhead fluorescent lights off, room door open to a larger lab space, room ~20 C. The Argon lasers have a several hour roller coaster ride after power up. Once in a while I get bizarre glitches in single frames images.

Zeiss confocal people used to complain that using the transmitted light detector was not relevant for the fluorescence channels. I put a Chroma plastic slide on the scope, did both ChD and fluorescence (open pinhole, focused into the plastic to hopefully minimize focus drift issues), and found the transmitted light intensity and fluorescence tracked extremely well.

I had a Zeiss service visit last week. The field service engineer cleaned the dust trap under the electronics box (and tweaked a bunch of other things, so no promises that was the source, though the amount of dust removed was impressive) and since then the unit has shown extremely good stability in the ChD tests.

If Leica ever delivers stable software (they didn't in the 4 years I used their LCS software from 2001-2005), I will do some similar (but not every night) overnight tests on the new SP5 and MP/SP5 in our building.

George
p.s. I do have a service contract on the LSM 510. the Enterprise I was discontinued and is no longer under service contract - still discussing with Zeiss, coherent and others about a solid state UV laser with a line in the 351-364 nm range of the Enterprise. If someone knows whether frequency doubling (say) a 1 W 720 nm laser will give a useful 360 nm beam for confocal microscopy, please let me know.

At 11:26 AM 1/8/2008, you wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
We were having a debate here about laser on and off time. I was wondering if there is any consensus on how long it takes to warm up an Ar ion laser, how long it should stay on and how long it should be left off before re-igniting. I had understood that turning the laser on reduces the lifetime a lot more than leaving it on. We currently have a policy that if the next user is coming within two hours to leave the laser on. Is there any issue with turning the laser on for a short period of time (less than one hour) and turning it off again?

I searched the list and did not see a lot of information on this in the past. I also could not easily find any information on the Melles-Griot web site. Are there any sources for a basic laser care guide or something of the sort?

Sincerely,

Claire

_________________________________________________________________

Claire M. Brown, PhD

Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director

McGill University Department of Biochemistry

http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging

******************************************* If you have any issues with this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:

Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email] 398-4400 x00795

To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to [hidden email] with the following text command within the body of the message:

signoff microscope-users

*******************************************

George McNamara, Ph.D.
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Image Core
Miami, FL 33010
[hidden email]
[hidden email]
305-243-8436 office
http://home.earthlink.net/~pubspectra/
http://home.earthlink.net/~geomcnamara/
http://www.sylvester.org/health_pro/shared_resources/index.asp (see Analytical Imaging Core Facility)

Guy Cox

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by Claire Brown

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

My suggestion would be to switch it to the standby position

in such circumstances. Biorad used to automatically

switch Ar/Kr lsers to standby when they weren't scanning

and that worked wonders for lifetime.

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 +61 2 9351 3176     Fax +61 2 9351 7682
Mobile 0413 281 861
______________________________________________
     http://www.guycox.net

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Claire Brown
Sent: Wednesday, 9 January 2008 3:27 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Laser Care

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Sincerely,

Claire

_________________________________________________________________

Claire M. Brown, PhD

Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director

McGill University Department of Biochemistry

http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging

******************************************* If you have any issues with this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:

Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email] 398-4400 x00795

To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to [hidden email] with the following text command within the body of the message:

signoff microscope-users

*******************************************
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1212 - Release Date: 6/01/2008 10:55 PM

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1212 - Release Date: 6/01/2008 10:55 PM

Andrea Manazza

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by George McNamara

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Hi. I work on a Leica TCS SP2 UV-equipped platform. We usually pre-warm
the whole machine 2 hours before using it, both Ar-Kr, He-Ne and the UV.
If I need to perform a time-lapse with the heating chamber, we use an
identical protocol, including the chamber and the CO2 in the pre-warming
schedule but we do everything overnight.
If any user is booked within 2 hours from the end of the previous, we
leave everything on.
I hope it may be useful.
Andrew

Andrea Manazza, MD PhD
Dept. of Biomedical sciences and human oncology
Molecular Oncology-CeRMS
Via Santena 7, 10126 Torino
Italia
tel: +39-11-6336859
fax: +39-11-6336887

>
>
> At 11:26 AM 1/8/2008, you wrote:
>>Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>>http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>>We were having a debate here about laser on and off time. I was
>>wondering if there is any consensus on how long it takes to warm up
>>an Ar ion laser, how long it should stay on and how long it should
>>be left off before re-igniting. I had understood that turning the
>>laser on reduces the lifetime a lot more than leaving it on. We
>>currently have a policy that if the next user is coming within two
>>hours to leave the laser on. Is there any issue with turning the
>>laser on for a short period of time (less than one hour) and turning
>>it off again?
>>
>>I searched the list and did not see a lot of information on this in
>>the past. I also could not easily find any information on the
>>Melles-Griot web site. Are there any sources for a basic laser care
>>guide or something of the sort?
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>Claire
>>
>>
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>
>>Claire M. Brown, PhD
>>
>>Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director
>>
>>McGill University Department of Biochemistry
>>
>><http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging>http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging
>>
>>******************************************* If you have any issues
>>with this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:
>>
>>Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email]
>>398-4400 x00795
>>
>>To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to
>>[hidden email] with the following text command within the
>>body of the message:
>>
>>signoff microscope-users
>>
>>*******************************************
>
>
>
>
>
>
> George McNamara, Ph.D.
> University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
> Image Core
> Miami, FL 33010
> [hidden email]
> [hidden email]
> 305-243-8436 office
> http://home.earthlink.net/~pubspectra/
> http://home.earthlink.net/~geomcnamara/
> http://www.sylvester.org/health_pro/shared_resources/index.asp (see
> Analytical Imaging Core Facility)
>
>
>

Stephen Cody

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by Guy Cox

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

G’day Guy et al.,

Bio-Rad only installed this laser saving device as a rule in Australia. The local Bio-Rad engineer Allan Anderson (now www.clearstatesolutions.com ) developed it after a suggestion by myself. Bio-Rad in the UK decided to re-develop it and after blowing up a couple of user’s power supplies gave up. I have just retired a 100mW Argon ion laser that put in well over 20,000 hours, it is still working but down to about 50% power. I put this long life down to the “Laser Saver”. The Laser saver was such a simple idea; two wires ran from the shutter in front of the laser and were connected to the standby circuit on the laser. As the user stopped scanning the laser was automatically switched to standby. How Bio-Rad UK ever managed to muck this up I’ll never understand. I would recommend anybody still running gas lasers to seriously think about installing a “Laser Saver”.

Cheers

Stephen H. Cody
Microscopy Manager
Central Resource for Advanced Microscopy
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
PO Box 2008 Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria, 3050
Australia
Tel: 61 3 9341 3155 Fax: 61 3 9341 3104
email: [hidden email]
www.ludwig.edu.au/labs/confocal.html
www.ludwig.edu.au/confocal

Tip: Learn how to receive reminders about you microscope booking:
www.ludwig.edu.au/confocal/Local/Booking_Hint.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Guy Cox
Sent: Wednesday, 9 January 2008 4:18 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Laser Care

My suggestion would be to switch it to the standby position

in such circumstances. Biorad used to automatically

switch Ar/Kr lsers to standby when they weren't scanning

and that worked wonders for lifetime.

Guy

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Claire Brown
Sent: Wednesday, 9 January 2008 3:27 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Laser Care

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Sincerely,

Claire

_________________________________________________________________

Claire M. Brown, PhD

Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director

McGill University Department of Biochemistry

http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging

******************************************* If you have any issues with this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:

Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email] 398-4400 x00795

To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to [hidden email] with the following text command within the body of the message:

signoff microscope-users

*******************************************
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1212 - Release Date: 6/01/2008 10:55 PM

This communication is intended only for the named recipient and may contain information that is confidential, legally privileged or subject to copyright; the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research does not waiver any rights if you have received this communication in error.
The views expressed in this communication are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1212 - Release Date: 6/01/2008 10:55 PM

Prof Hindsight

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by Claire Brown

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

In the interests of accuracy, Bio-Rad successfully implemented the laser
standby function; and, to my knowledge, the vast majority of MRC based LSMs
have this capability. In fact even the last version of the Bio-Rad software
for MRC-1024 LSMs (WindowsNT platform), allows the software to control when
laser switches to standby and come out of standby, toa go to normal power
again!

From what I have been told the standby function, which has always been on
the laser head via a switch, much like other LSM system lasers, was
available as part of a remote control box which ILT sold as an add-on extra
to control laser power remotely including a standby switch. The pinouts
were always on the power supply interface connector. I suppose most other
gas lasers have these pins available but are simply not used.

PH

Guy Cox

Re: Laser Care

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Isn't that exactly what I said? And it was in
fact a Bio-Rad Australia development.

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 +61 2 9351 3176 Fax +61 2 9351 7682
Mobile 0413 281 861
______________________________________________
http://www.guycox.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Prof. Hindsight
Sent: Thursday, 10 January 2008 10:17 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Laser Care

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

In the interests of accuracy, Bio-Rad successfully implemented the laser standby function; and, to my knowledge, the vast majority of MRC based LSMs have this capability. In fact even the last version of the Bio-Rad software for MRC-1024 LSMs (WindowsNT platform), allows the software to control when laser switches to standby and come out of standby, toa go to normal power again!

From what I have been told the standby function, which has always been on the laser head via a switch, much like other LSM system lasers, was available as part of a remote control box which ILT sold as an add-on extra to control laser power remotely including a standby switch. The pinouts were always on the power supply interface connector. I suppose most other gas lasers have these pins available but are simply not used.

PH

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.0/1216 - Release Date: 9/01/2008 10:16 AM

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.0/1216 - Release Date: 9/01/2008 10:16 AM

S. Brunet

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by Stephen Cody

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Hello!

If you choose to decide on the stability of the laser based on laser power
alone, it is not enough. Some Ar+ lasers can work in different modes: current
or light. One mode send a stable current (independent of light output) while
the other aims for constant power output.

One very important thing for microscopy is pointing stability! I do not bother
aligning the pinholes in the first 20 minutes of turning on my Ar+ because of
that. The power is stable, but the beam path can change during the warm up
period. I would have to realign the pinholes if I were to so it during the
warm up period.

Ar+ laser lifetime: I remember seeing a graph (I thought it was in Oriel, but I
can't find it now) about lifetime versus percentage power output of the max
output. In short, buy a more powerful laser than needed and run it a lower
power. I just wish I could find the reference. Also, some laser can be
unstable when run idle (someone else referred to Sam's laser FAQ).

Good luck!
Sophie
____________________________________________________
Sophie M. K. Brunet, Ph. D.
Research Officer
Optical Spectroscopy, Laser Systems and Applications
Chemistry 112 sessional lecturer
[hidden email]
306-966-1719 (office) 306-966-1702 (fax)
____________________________________________________
Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre
University of Saskatchewan
Thorvaldson Bldg.
110 Science Place
Saskatoon, Sk S7N 5C9
____________________________________________________

Glen MacDonald-2

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by Prof Hindsight

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Bio-Rad added software control of laser standby to the OS/2 version
of Lasersharp about 1995.

The classic new user (or rushed for a deadline user) mistake was to
overlook the toggle set to 'Standby' on the laser, then select 30% or
100% transmission ND filters to get an image. then, when realizing
the problem, flipping the toggle and conducting an impromptu
photobleaching exercise.

Regards,
Glen

Glen MacDonald
Core for Communication Research
Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center
Box 357923
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7923 USA
(206) 616-4156
[hidden email]

************************************************************************
******
The box said "Requires WindowsXP or better", so I bought a Macintosh.
************************************************************************
******

On Jan 10, 2008, at 3:16 AM, Prof. Hindsight wrote:

> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> In the interests of accuracy, Bio-Rad successfully implemented the
> laser
> standby function; and, to my knowledge, the vast majority of MRC
> based LSMs
> have this capability. In fact even the last version of the Bio-Rad
> software
> for MRC-1024 LSMs (WindowsNT platform), allows the software to
> control when
> laser switches to standby and come out of standby, toa go to normal
> power
> again!
>
> From what I have been told the standby function, which has always
> been on
> the laser head via a switch, much like other LSM system lasers, was
> available as part of a remote control box which ILT sold as an add-
> on extra
> to control laser power remotely including a standby switch. The
> pinouts
> were always on the power supply interface connector. I suppose
> most other
> gas lasers have these pins available but are simply not used.
>
> PH

Xuejun Sun

Re: Laser Care

In reply to this post by George McNamara

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

It is amazing the wide spectrum of laser care (standby time?) we have here (from 20mins to the whole week). Here is what we do.

We usually leave them on (standby between users, Zeiss software automatically puts it to standby if current scan configuration does not use the laser) for the day and turn them off when last user for the day is done. If someone did turn it off, our rule is that user must wait at least 20mins to turn back on (longer is better if s/he could wait).

I think the real issue is how critical laser stability it is to your application. For most of routine users, it is probably not a big deal to use it as it warmed up. Long time ago, I did some test on the stability of our lasers, most of them will be in reasonable shape within 15-30mins. If I remember well, the laser intensity will creep up ~5% for Argon and HeNes within about 15mins. Then it will fluctuate within 1-2% range and a bit less within about an hour. What I found was vibration changed laser pointing dramatically. So if you use transmitted detector for the test, make sure to remove the polarizer in the light path. The result would not be as horrible. I also put some rubber hockey training pucks under the Zeiss laser module box which helped dramatically.

Xuejun

PS: George, I fiddled with frequency doubling crystal long time ago (8yrs). The main problem was that I tested on a multi-photon machine. The main dichoic needs to be changed as 80/20 loosing too much light and the light must go through the IR collimator in the Zeiss scanhead. I could get some not so great images of DAPI. My Mira900 was pumped with a 5W Verdi and the max power at 720 was probably 200mW. If you got 1W, I am sure it will be doable so long as the crystal would withstand the power if you could sort out the light path issues.

Xue-jun Sun, Ph.D.

Dept. Exp. Oncology

Cross Cancer Institute

11560 University Ave,

Edmonton Alberta T6G 1Z2

Canada

Phone: (780) 432-8898

Fax: (780) 432-8425

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of George McNamara
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 8:28 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Laser Care

Hi Claire,

basic laser care guide and more - http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserfaq.htm

I turn my Zeiss LSM 510's Argon visible (~6.1 Amp, ~60% output), Argon UV (Coherent Enterprise I, ~21.6 amp, ~60% output), HeNe 543 and HeNe 633 on Monday morning, and usually turn them off Friday night. If a user tells me they plan to come in for experiments during the weekend, I leave the lasers on all weekend.

Early morning and overnight I run a timelapse 1 fpm, four different laser lines sequential scanning, to the transmitted light detector (ChD in Zeiss jargon). 10x lens, no specimen, 1.0 OD filter on top of the condenser unit (inverted scope), transmitted light field aperture open so it is inside the field of view and condenser (and/or objective) adjusted so the aperture is in focus, overhead fluorescent lights off, room door open to a larger lab space, room ~20 C. The Argon lasers have a several hour roller coaster ride after power up. Once in a while I get bizarre glitches in single frames images.

Zeiss confocal people used to complain that using the transmitted light detector was not relevant for the fluorescence channels. I put a Chroma plastic slide on the scope, did both ChD and fluorescence (open pinhole, focused into the plastic to hopefully minimize focus drift issues), and found the transmitted light intensity and fluorescence tracked extremely well.

I had a Zeiss service visit last week. The field service engineer cleaned the dust trap under the electronics box (and tweaked a bunch of other things, so no promises that was the source, though the amount of dust removed was impressive) and since then the unit has shown extremely good stability in the ChD tests.

If Leica ever delivers stable software (they didn't in the 4 years I used their LCS software from 2001-2005), I will do some similar (but not every night) overnight tests on the new SP5 and MP/SP5 in our building.

George
p.s. I do have a service contract on the LSM 510. the Enterprise I was discontinued and is no longer under service contract - still discussing with Zeiss, coherent and others about a solid state UV laser with a line in the 351-364 nm range of the Enterprise. If someone knows whether frequency doubling (say) a 1 W 720 nm laser will give a useful 360 nm beam for confocal microscopy, please let me know.

At 11:26 AM 1/8/2008, you wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
We were having a debate here about laser on and off time. I was wondering if there is any consensus on how long it takes to warm up an Ar ion laser, how long it should stay on and how long it should be left off before re-igniting. I had understood that turning the laser on reduces the lifetime a lot more than leaving it on. We currently have a policy that if the next user is coming within two hours to leave the laser on. Is there any issue with turning the laser on for a short period of time (less than one hour) and turning it off again?

I searched the list and did not see a lot of information on this in the past. I also could not easily find any information on the Melles-Griot web site. Are there any sources for a basic laser care guide or something of the sort?

Sincerely,

Claire

_________________________________________________________________

Claire M. Brown, PhD

Life Sciences Complex Imaging Facility Director

McGill University Department of Biochemistry

http://www.lifesciencescomplex.mcgill.ca/imaging

******************************************* If you have any issues with this ListServ or any of the microscopes please contact:

Claire Brown Director LSC Imaging Facility [hidden email] 398-4400 x00795

To unsubscribe from this list send an e-mail to [hidden email] with the following text command within the body of the message:

signoff microscope-users

*******************************************

This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient,
please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this
e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this
information by a person other than the intended recipient is
unauthorized and may be illegal.