Confocal Microscopy List

Re: Cleaning lens.

Posted by Ian Montgomery on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Cleaning-lens-tp2556737p2557444.html

Keith,

Methylated spirit that’s what he said, although I still prefer and use ether when necessary.

Ian.

Dr. Ian Montgomery,

Histotechnology,

I.B.L.S. Support Unit,

Thomson Building,

University of Glasgow,

Glasgow,

G12 8QQ.

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Keith Morris
Sent: 30 March 2009 14:12
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cleaning lens.

Are you sure the Zeiss Engineer didn’t say ‘petroleum spirit’? Methylated spirit is mainly ethanol, and so best avoided - the Axiovert 100 manual says repeated use of 70% ethanol will damage the objectives [but you can use it if you want]. Generally the faster the solvent evaporation from the lens/cement area the better, hence the suggestion of the solvent [pure] diethyl ether by many [and that’s what I use].

‘Zeiss cleaning mixture L’, which the engineer’s now use since diethyl ether has been withdrawn from their kit, is 90% by volume ‘benzoline’ [petroleum ether sometimes called medical alcohol] and 10% ‘isopropanol’ [2-proponal, dimethyl carbinol,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 does the job for Zeiss optics.

Keith

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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: +44 (0)1865 287568
Email: [hidden email]
Web-pages: http://www.well.ox.ac.uk/cytogenetics/

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ian Montgomery
Sent: 30 March 2009 12:28
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Cleaning lens.

In one of our teaching labs many years ago a student complained they were having a problem with the x100 OI objective and sure enough the image was lousy. I cleaned the objective and slide then re-applied a spot of oil and still the image was lousy. I then asked the student how exactly they had set up the microscope. Shock horror, my world collapsed. They had unscrewed the objective, filled it with oil, screwed it back on then put a drop on the slide. After weeks of trying to clean the objective it went into the trash as beyond economic repair.

Cleaning objectives, I use the fluid recommended by the local Zeiss engineer, 90% methylated spirit and 10% isopropanol.