Lens(Oil objective) cleaning paper

[Arvind singh Pundir]

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Hi,

Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
clean the oil immersion objectives

thanks



Arvind Singh Pundir
National Brain Research Centre,
Manesar, Haryana, India













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P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

[Avi Jacob]

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I like the Whatman "Lens cleaning tissue", CAT No. 2105-841.
As for solvent, there are many options and opinions. I tried a few; a
20%ether-80%ethanol mix, then a propanal mix for example, but ultimately I
settled on the very boring 70% EtOH.  I do use good quality stuff, and I
tend to steal some purified water from the HPLC lab, but otherwise, it
works. I put it in small pump top bottles like those used in
manicure salons, though you can buy them from science equipment sellers.
Avi

--
Avi Jacob, Ph.D.
Head of  Light Microscopy, Faculty of Life Sciences
Bar-Ilan University, Israel


On Wed, Apr 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:

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> *****
>
> Hi,
>
> Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
> cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> clean the oil immersion objectives
>
> thanks
>
>
>
> Arvind Singh Pundir
> National Brain Research Centre,
> Manesar, Haryana, India
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
>

[Christian Feldhaus]

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Hi,

without knowing all the lens paper brands, I also think the Whatman is
probably the best. But that doesn't mean other papers do a bad job. We
use No. 1019 from Assistent and are very satisfied with it.

As to solvents: companies use different sealants and coatings on their
objectives, so I would recommend asking the manufacturer of your
objectives. In general, the best solvent to use also heavily depends on
what sort of contamination you have on your lens (e.g. is it water
soluble or not).

Best,

Christian


On 11.04.2018 13:00, [hidden email] wrote:

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> *****
>
> Hi,
>
> Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
> cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> clean the oil immersion objectives
>
> thanks
>
>
>
> Arvind Singh Pundir
> National Brain Research Centre,
> Manesar, Haryana, India
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

--
Christian Feldhaus, PhD
Light Microscopy Facility
MPI for Developmental Biology

Max-Planck-Ring 5 (Spemannstrasse 35)
72076 Tübingen
Germany

deliveries to:
Max-Planck-Ring 1
72076 Tübingen

Tel.: ++49 7071 601443

[mmodel]

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I remember there had been a discussion of cleaning liquids before. I use Sparkle or 70% ethanol as everyday cleaners. When nothing else works, a little bit of xylene on a cotton tip cleans away anything, but you have to be careful with it.


Mike


________________________________
From: Confocal Microscopy List <[hidden email]> on behalf of Christian Feldhaus <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2018 4:32 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Lens(Oil objective) cleaning paper

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Hi,

without knowing all the lens paper brands, I also think the Whatman is
probably the best. But that doesn't mean other papers do a bad job. We
use No. 1019 from Assistent and are very satisfied with it.

As to solvents: companies use different sealants and coatings on their
objectives, so I would recommend asking the manufacturer of your
objectives. In general, the best solvent to use also heavily depends on
what sort of contamination you have on your lens (e.g. is it water
soluble or not).

Best,

Christian


On 11.04.2018 13:00, [hidden email] wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi,
>
> Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
> cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> clean the oil immersion objectives
>
> thanks
>
>
>
> Arvind Singh Pundir
> National Brain Research Centre,
> Manesar, Haryana, India
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

--
Christian Feldhaus, PhD
Light Microscopy Facility
MPI for Developmental Biology

Max-Planck-Ring 5 (Spemannstrasse 35)
72076 Tübingen
Germany

deliveries to:
Max-Planck-Ring 1
72076 Tübingen

Tel.: ++49 7071 601443

[Steffen Dietzel]

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I am with Avi and Christian on this one.

We've compared 70%EtOH, Methanol and Isoprop for cleaning of immersion
oil off a slide. 70% EtOh worked best for us, so I figure that it is
also best for normal cleaning of lenses. If real dirt sticks to it, I
use Methanol and that solves pretty much the rest of the cases. (Have
applied ether only once, then in a fume hood.) If it is getting
complicated I put the objective under a stereo microscope. The most
important ingredient might be patience.

However, usually we do not "clean" immersion liquids of the lens. We
tell our users to hold a Kimwipe (gray box) against the lens to suck of
any excess, repeat until the Kimwipe comes off dry. The emphasis is on
'hold' and never ever rub.

For actual cleaning I use medical quality cotton wool around a wood rod
or a kimwipe to draw out the cleaning solution, making sure I don't
touch the lens with the kimwipe. An alternative to the first option is
"Zahnwatte" which apparently translates in "dental rolls", the stuff the
dentist sticks into your mouth when s/he wants to get your lips or
tongue out of the way.

If it should be Lens cleaning tissue, Whatmann 105 is a good choice.
(cat no 2105841)

Steffen

Am 11.04.2018 um 13:00 schrieb [hidden email]:

> *****
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> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi,
>
> Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
> cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> clean the oil immersion objectives
>
> thanks
>
>
>
> Arvind Singh Pundir
> National Brain Research Centre,
> Manesar, Haryana, India
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
>

--
-- ----------------------------------------------------------

Steffen Dietzel, PD Dr. rer. nat.
Head of the Core Facility Bioimaging at the Biomedical Center
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Walter-Brendel-Zentrum für Experimentelle Medizin

Address:
Biomedical Center
Großhaderner Straße 9
D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried

Phone: [phone]
skype: steffendietzel
e-mail: [hidden email]
fax-to-e-mail: +49/89/2180-9971518
http://www.bioimaging.bmc.med.uni-muenchen.de


--
------------------------------------------------------------
Steffen Dietzel, PD Dr. rer. nat
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Biomedical Center (BMC)
Head of the Core Facility Bioimaging

Großhaderner Straße 9
D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried
Germany

http://www.bioimaging.bmc.med.uni-muenchen.de

[Dan Focht]

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List

The best paper for safely cleaning objectives is Berkshire LensX 90.
It is soft, leaves no lint, will not scratch even the most delicate surface.
https://www.berkshire.com/lensx-90-lens-cleaning-wipe-tissue-paper.html

I used it for 20 years in a former life when I serviced Zeiss microscopes.
The company will send you a sample.

I have no financial interest in the company but just know they make a perfect product for lens cleaning.
I would cut the paper into strips then wind the strips onto a 2.5mm wood stick leaving about 6mm of the paper extend beyond the end of the wood.
Then use that as a swab to wipe small diameter lenses.
When cleaning oil from a lens with a solvent it should also be followed up with a water based surfactant to remove any residuals that might have not dissolved by petroleum solvents.


Dan


On Apr 12, 2018, at 2:19 AM, Avi Jacob <[hidden email]> wrote:

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I like the Whatman "Lens cleaning tissue", CAT No. 2105-841.
As for solvent, there are many options and opinions. I tried a few; a
20%ether-80%ethanol mix, then a propanal mix for example, but ultimately I
settled on the very boring 70% EtOH.  I do use good quality stuff, and I
tend to steal some purified water from the HPLC lab, but otherwise, it
works. I put it in small pump top bottles like those used in
manicure salons, though you can buy them from science equipment sellers.
Avi

--
Avi Jacob, Ph.D.
Head of  Light Microscopy, Faculty of Life Sciences
Bar-Ilan University, Israel


On Wed, Apr 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi,
>
> Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
> cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> clean the oil immersion objectives
>
> thanks
>
>
>
> Arvind Singh Pundir
> National Brain Research Centre,
> Manesar, Haryana, India
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
>

Dan Focht
Bioptechs, Inc.
3560 Beck Rd.
Butler PA 16002
V724-282-7145
F724-282-0745
Toll Free 877 lIVE-CELL (548-3235)
[hidden email]

[Ferhan A]

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We also use Assistent nr. 1019 and are very satisfied with it.
We only dry wipe immersion oil objectives with this paper. We don't use any
solvent.

On Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 2:06 PM, Dan Focht <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> List
>
> The best paper for safely cleaning objectives is Berkshire LensX 90.
> It is soft, leaves no lint, will not scratch even the most delicate
> surface.
> https://www.berkshire.com/lensx-90-lens-cleaning-wipe-tissue-paper.html
>
> I used it for 20 years in a former life when I serviced Zeiss microscopes.
> The company will send you a sample.
>
> I have no financial interest in the company but just know they make a
> perfect product for lens cleaning.
> I would cut the paper into strips then wind the strips onto a 2.5mm wood
> stick leaving about 6mm of the paper extend beyond the end of the wood.
> Then use that as a swab to wipe small diameter lenses.
> When cleaning oil from a lens with a solvent it should also be followed up
> with a water based surfactant to remove any residuals that might have not
> dissolved by petroleum solvents.
>
>
> Dan
>
>
> On Apr 12, 2018, at 2:19 AM, Avi Jacob <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> I like the Whatman "Lens cleaning tissue", CAT No. 2105-841.
> As for solvent, there are many options and opinions. I tried a few; a
> 20%ether-80%ethanol mix, then a propanal mix for example, but ultimately I
> settled on the very boring 70% EtOH.  I do use good quality stuff, and I
> tend to steal some purified water from the HPLC lab, but otherwise, it
> works. I put it in small pump top bottles like those used in
> manicure salons, though you can buy them from science equipment sellers.
> Avi
>
> --
> Avi Jacob, Ph.D.
> Head of  Light Microscopy, Faculty of Life Sciences
> Bar-Ilan University, Israel
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> posting.
> > *****
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
> > cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> > clean the oil immersion objectives
> >
> > thanks
> >
> >
> >
> > Arvind Singh Pundir
> > National Brain Research Centre,
> > Manesar, Haryana, India
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------
> > P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
> >
>
> Dan Focht
> Bioptechs, Inc.
> 3560 Beck Rd.
> Butler PA 16002
> V724-282-7145
> F724-282-0745
> Toll Free 877 lIVE-CELL (548-3235)
> [hidden email]
>

[JOEL B. SHEFFIELD]

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We have found that our 40x Nikon dry lenses pick up lots of oil because
they are used in student labs, and students often drag them through the oil
as they switch back from the 100x lenses.  This, of course, is in spite of
numerous warnings!  The front glass in these lenses is very small, and
concave, and most of the standard cleaning systems do not work well.  We
have found that the commercial microfiber glass cleaning cloths, which have
a high nylon content, (the Scotch Brite Microfiber is 85% Polyester and 15%
Nylon- no commercial interest), and have a nubby surface, are able to get
to the oil and remove it without needing any solvents.  You do have to keep
track of which portion of the cloth you've used, since each spot becomes
contaminated with oil.

Joel





Joel B. Sheffield, Ph.D
Department of Biology
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Voice: 215 204 8839
e-mail: [hidden email]
URL:  *https://bio.cst.temple.edu/~jbs/ <https://bio.cst.temple.edu/~jbs/>
<http://tinyurl.com/khbouft>*

On Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 8:06 AM, Dan Focht <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> List
>
> The best paper for safely cleaning objectives is Berkshire LensX 90.
> It is soft, leaves no lint, will not scratch even the most delicate
> surface.
> https://www.berkshire.com/lensx-90-lens-cleaning-wipe-tissue-paper.html
>
> I used it for 20 years in a former life when I serviced Zeiss microscopes.
> The company will send you a sample.
>
> I have no financial interest in the company but just know they make a
> perfect product for lens cleaning.
> I would cut the paper into strips then wind the strips onto a 2.5mm wood
> stick leaving about 6mm of the paper extend beyond the end of the wood.
> Then use that as a swab to wipe small diameter lenses.
> When cleaning oil from a lens with a solvent it should also be followed up
> with a water based surfactant to remove any residuals that might have not
> dissolved by petroleum solvents.
>
>
> Dan
>
>
> On Apr 12, 2018, at 2:19 AM, Avi Jacob <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> I like the Whatman "Lens cleaning tissue", CAT No. 2105-841.
> As for solvent, there are many options and opinions. I tried a few; a
> 20%ether-80%ethanol mix, then a propanal mix for example, but ultimately I
> settled on the very boring 70% EtOH.  I do use good quality stuff, and I
> tend to steal some purified water from the HPLC lab, but otherwise, it
> works. I put it in small pump top bottles like those used in
> manicure salons, though you can buy them from science equipment sellers.
> Avi
>
> --
> Avi Jacob, Ph.D.
> Head of  Light Microscopy, Faculty of Life Sciences
> Bar-Ilan University, Israel
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> posting.
> > *****
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  for
> > cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> > clean the oil immersion objectives
> >
> > thanks
> >
> >
> >
> > Arvind Singh Pundir
> > National Brain Research Centre,
> > Manesar, Haryana, India
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------
> > P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
> >
>
> Dan Focht
> Bioptechs, Inc.
> 3560 Beck Rd.
> Butler PA 16002
> V724-282-7145
> F724-282-0745
> Toll Free 877 lIVE-CELL (548-3235)
> [hidden email]
>

[Craig Brideau]

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I use 70% isopropyl as a first step with commercial lens tissues, then try
methanol as a next step if there is still residue on the lens. I find
methanol streaks but a followup wipe with isopropyl tends to clean up the
residue. As others have mentioned, be sure to use very pure grades of the
solvents.

Craig

On Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 8:14 AM, Joel Sheffield <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> We have found that our 40x Nikon dry lenses pick up lots of oil because
> they are used in student labs, and students often drag them through the oil
> as they switch back from the 100x lenses.  This, of course, is in spite of
> numerous warnings!  The front glass in these lenses is very small, and
> concave, and most of the standard cleaning systems do not work well.  We
> have found that the commercial microfiber glass cleaning cloths, which have
> a high nylon content, (the Scotch Brite Microfiber is 85% Polyester and 15%
> Nylon- no commercial interest), and have a nubby surface, are able to get
> to the oil and remove it without needing any solvents.  You do have to keep
> track of which portion of the cloth you've used, since each spot becomes
> contaminated with oil.
>
> Joel
>
>
>
>
>
> Joel B. Sheffield, Ph.D
> Department of Biology
> Temple University
> Philadelphia, PA 19122
> Voice: 215 204 8839
> e-mail: [hidden email]
> URL:  *https://bio.cst.temple.edu/~jbs/ <https://bio.cst.temple.edu/~jbs/>
> <http://tinyurl.com/khbouft>*
>
> On Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 8:06 AM, Dan Focht <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> posting.
> > *****
> >
> > List
> >
> > The best paper for safely cleaning objectives is Berkshire LensX 90.
> > It is soft, leaves no lint, will not scratch even the most delicate
> > surface.
> > https://www.berkshire.com/lensx-90-lens-cleaning-wipe-tissue-paper.html
> >
> > I used it for 20 years in a former life when I serviced Zeiss
> microscopes.
> > The company will send you a sample.
> >
> > I have no financial interest in the company but just know they make a
> > perfect product for lens cleaning.
> > I would cut the paper into strips then wind the strips onto a 2.5mm wood
> > stick leaving about 6mm of the paper extend beyond the end of the wood.
> > Then use that as a swab to wipe small diameter lenses.
> > When cleaning oil from a lens with a solvent it should also be followed
> up
> > with a water based surfactant to remove any residuals that might have not
> > dissolved by petroleum solvents.
> >
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
> > On Apr 12, 2018, at 2:19 AM, Avi Jacob <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> posting.
> > *****
> >
> > I like the Whatman "Lens cleaning tissue", CAT No. 2105-841.
> > As for solvent, there are many options and opinions. I tried a few; a
> > 20%ether-80%ethanol mix, then a propanal mix for example, but ultimately
> I
> > settled on the very boring 70% EtOH.  I do use good quality stuff, and I
> > tend to steal some purified water from the HPLC lab, but otherwise, it
> > works. I put it in small pump top bottles like those used in
> > manicure salons, though you can buy them from science equipment sellers.
> > Avi
> >
> > --
> > Avi Jacob, Ph.D.
> > Head of  Light Microscopy, Faculty of Life Sciences
> > Bar-Ilan University, Israel
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Apr 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > > *****
> > > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> > posting.
> > > *****
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market
> for
> > > cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house) to
> > > clean the oil immersion objectives
> > >
> > > thanks
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Arvind Singh Pundir
> > > National Brain Research Centre,
> > > Manesar, Haryana, India
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -------------------------------------------------
> > > P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
> > >
> >
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>

[Jacqueline Ross]

*****
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Hi everyone,

We use absolute ethanol, analytical grade to clean our oil immersion objective lenses. This is used with lint-free paper followed by the Whatman lens tissue (applied dry) as mentioned by several others. I've also used the Berkshire lens tissue which is excellent but it's easier for us to buy the Whatman in wallets as we have quite a few microscopes and we keep the lens tissue in the wallets.  In the case of a lens that we think has been damaged or has residue on it, we remove the objective lens and examine it under a stereo microscope. If necessary, I then use a polystyrene stick (used for cleaning diamond knives) as suggested by Guy Cox on this listserv many years ago. The polystyrene stick has saved several dry lenses which have had oil residue dried on them that wasn't receptive to our usual cleaning method.

I have a question for those using ethanol. Why do you use 70%?

Cheers,

Jacqui

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Steffen Dietzel
Sent: Thursday, 12 April 2018 11:38 p.m.
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Lens(Oil objective) cleaning paper

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

I am with Avi and Christian on this one.

We've compared 70%EtOH, Methanol and Isoprop for cleaning of immersion oil off a slide. 70% EtOh worked best for us, so I figure that it is also best for normal cleaning of lenses. If real dirt sticks to it, I use Methanol and that solves pretty much the rest of the cases. (Have applied ether only once, then in a fume hood.) If it is getting complicated I put the objective under a stereo microscope. The most important ingredient might be patience.

However, usually we do not "clean" immersion liquids of the lens. We tell our users to hold a Kimwipe (gray box) against the lens to suck of any excess, repeat until the Kimwipe comes off dry. The emphasis is on 'hold' and never ever rub.

For actual cleaning I use medical quality cotton wool around a wood rod or a kimwipe to draw out the cleaning solution, making sure I don't touch the lens with the kimwipe. An alternative to the first option is "Zahnwatte" which apparently translates in "dental rolls", the stuff the dentist sticks into your mouth when s/he wants to get your lips or tongue out of the way.

If it should be Lens cleaning tissue, Whatmann 105 is a good choice.
(cat no 2105841)

Steffen

Am 11.04.2018 um 13:00 schrieb [hidden email]:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi,
>
> Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market  
> for cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house)
> to clean the oil immersion objectives
>
> thanks
>
>
>
> Arvind Singh Pundir
> National Brain Research Centre,
> Manesar, Haryana, India
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
>

--
-- ----------------------------------------------------------

Steffen Dietzel, PD Dr. rer. nat.
Head of the Core Facility Bioimaging at the Biomedical Center Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Walter-Brendel-Zentrum für Experimentelle Medizin

Address:
Biomedical Center
Großhaderner Straße 9
D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried

Phone: [phone]
skype: steffendietzel
e-mail: [hidden email]
fax-to-e-mail: +49/89/2180-9971518
http://www.bioimaging.bmc.med.uni-muenchen.de


--
------------------------------------------------------------
Steffen Dietzel, PD Dr. rer. nat
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Biomedical Center (BMC)
Head of the Core Facility Bioimaging

Großhaderner Straße 9
D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried
Germany

http://www.bioimaging.bmc.med.uni-muenchen.de

[Benjamin Smith]

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

I've played around with this quite a bit, and found that lens paper can
leave fibers just like Kim-Wipes, and therefore defeats the purpose of
using them (some companies even print "lint-free" on the packaging).  On
top of that, lens paper is less absorbent and stiffer than Kim-Wipes,
making cleaning harder. The best cleaning protocol I found is the following:
1) Inspect the objective under s stereomicroscope to ensure there is no
hard grit on the lens (very rare, but it only takes once)
     -NOTE: If there is grit, carefully use a cotton swab to pull the grit
up off of the objective, without sliding it across the lens.  Fortunately,
I've only ever had to do this once.
2) Fold a Kim-Wipe to a small square, and wet one corner with glass cleaner
(I've found the surfactants in glass cleaner remove biofilms and oil much
better than alcohols, and some alcohols leave residues)
3) Gently press the wet corner of the Kim-Wipe against the objective lens,
and move in a circular motion for about 10-15 seconds.
4) Hold the objective with the objective lens pointing down, and rinse the
glass cleaner and lint off with distilled water (I usually use a transfer
pipette for this).  Make sure the water does not ride up the barrel.
5) Wick off any excess water on the objective housing with a Kim-Wipe
without getting near the objective lens (if you touch the objective lens at
this point you will put lint back on after having just rinsed it off)
6) Point the objective lens up under a stereomicroscope, and use a
compressed "air" duster to blow off the water on the objective lens.
      -NOTE: Use a Kim-Wipe on the opposite side of the face of the
objective so that the water doesn't run down the barrel
      -NOTE: Only puff the duster (as per the instructions on the can).
Constant blowing can cause liquid refrigerant to come out the nozzle,
leaving a residue that is VERY hard to clean off.
7) Inspect the objective lens under the microscope.  If the objective lens
is completely clean, it's surface should nearly impossible to make out (it
will look like it isn't even there).  If you see glare off of the lens or
specs of dust, repeat steps 1-6

This method removes everything from the objective, including the lint from
the paper, and leaves them absolutely immaculate.
If you have an electrophysiology objective with a biofilm or baked on
media, soak just the tip in distilled water over night, and then clean it
using the above steps.

The one thing I've found lens paper to be good for is for regular users to
safely remove excess oil or other immersion media from an objective.
Basically, put a drop of 70% EtOH on one side of the lens paper, and then
press the drop against the objective, and wick across the paper several
times.  If you look at the result under a microscope, you will see this is
pretty effective, and only a few small droplets of oil will be left on the
lens, which is more than good enough to avoid oil infiltration.  The nice
thing is that since the paper never comes in contact with the lens itself,
this method is pretty safe to have normal users perform.

Hope this helps,
   Ben Smith



On Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 5:47 PM, Jacqueline Ross <[hidden email]
> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> We use absolute ethanol, analytical grade to clean our oil immersion
> objective lenses. This is used with lint-free paper followed by the Whatman
> lens tissue (applied dry) as mentioned by several others. I've also used
> the Berkshire lens tissue which is excellent but it's easier for us to buy
> the Whatman in wallets as we have quite a few microscopes and we keep the
> lens tissue in the wallets.  In the case of a lens that we think has been
> damaged or has residue on it, we remove the objective lens and examine it
> under a stereo microscope. If necessary, I then use a polystyrene stick
> (used for cleaning diamond knives) as suggested by Guy Cox on this listserv
> many years ago. The polystyrene stick has saved several dry lenses which
> have had oil residue dried on them that wasn't receptive to our usual
> cleaning method.
>
> I have a question for those using ethanol. Why do you use 70%?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jacqui
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of Steffen Dietzel
> Sent: Thursday, 12 April 2018 11:38 p.m.
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Lens(Oil objective) cleaning paper
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> I am with Avi and Christian on this one.
>
> We've compared 70%EtOH, Methanol and Isoprop for cleaning of immersion oil
> off a slide. 70% EtOh worked best for us, so I figure that it is also best
> for normal cleaning of lenses. If real dirt sticks to it, I use Methanol
> and that solves pretty much the rest of the cases. (Have applied ether only
> once, then in a fume hood.) If it is getting complicated I put the
> objective under a stereo microscope. The most important ingredient might be
> patience.
>
> However, usually we do not "clean" immersion liquids of the lens. We tell
> our users to hold a Kimwipe (gray box) against the lens to suck of any
> excess, repeat until the Kimwipe comes off dry. The emphasis is on 'hold'
> and never ever rub.
>
> For actual cleaning I use medical quality cotton wool around a wood rod or
> a kimwipe to draw out the cleaning solution, making sure I don't touch the
> lens with the kimwipe. An alternative to the first option is "Zahnwatte"
> which apparently translates in "dental rolls", the stuff the dentist sticks
> into your mouth when s/he wants to get your lips or tongue out of the way.
>
> If it should be Lens cleaning tissue, Whatmann 105 is a good choice.
> (cat no 2105841)
>
> Steffen
>
> Am 11.04.2018 um 13:00 schrieb [hidden email]:
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> posting.
> > *****
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > Please suggest some best lens cleaning paper available in the market
> > for cleaning oil objective lens and what is the best solvent(in house)
> > to clean the oil immersion objectives
> >
> > thanks
> >
> >
> >
> > Arvind Singh Pundir
> > National Brain Research Centre,
> > Manesar, Haryana, India
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------
> > P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
> >
>
> --
> -- ----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Steffen Dietzel, PD Dr. rer. nat.
> Head of the Core Facility Bioimaging at the Biomedical Center
> Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Walter-Brendel-Zentrum für
> Experimentelle Medizin
>
> Address:
> Biomedical Center
> Großhaderner Straße 9
> D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried
>
> Phone: [phone]
> skype: steffendietzel
> e-mail: [hidden email]
> fax-to-e-mail: +49/89/2180-9971518
> http://www.bioimaging.bmc.med.uni-muenchen.de
>
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Steffen Dietzel, PD Dr. rer. nat
> Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
> Biomedical Center (BMC)
> Head of the Core Facility Bioimaging
>
> Großhaderner Straße 9
> D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried
> Germany
>
> http://www.bioimaging.bmc.med.uni-muenchen.de
>

--
Benjamin E. Smith, Ph. D.
Imaging Specialist, Vision Science
University of California, Berkeley
195 Life Sciences Addition
Berkeley, CA  94720-3200
Tel  [phone]
Fax [phone]
e-mail: [hidden email]
http://vision.berkeley.edu/?page_id=5635 <http://vision.berkeley.edu/>