http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Cotton-wool-for-lens-cleaning-tp6175236p6178273.html
cleaning. In our teaching labs, we have a particularly difficult problem
students. These lenses have a small meniscus front lens element that is
In the past, we have had to remove the lenses to clean them. Now, we can
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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:
> >
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> >
> > 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.: (514)-398-5248
> > fax: (514)-398-7452
> >
[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
>
> +49 (0)15114966933 (German Mobile)
> +49 (0)351 210 2627 (Work phone at MPI-CBG)
> +49 (0)351 210 1078 (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