It’s not only enough that you make use of a cordless microscope. Most of all, you must understand the principles behind it. You need to know how to use a cordless microscope effectively.

The microscope is one of the important tools of the laboratory used for helping physicians in diagnosing illnesses of their patients. This is used to study minute structures invisible to the naked eye such as bacteria, blood cells, and tissue cells from organs of the body. Today, there are many types of microscopes available. Yet not a lot may understand how to use them, such as how to use a cordless microscope.

Birth of Microscopy

Microscopy started with the discovery of Anton van Leeuwenhoek of bacteria and protozoa from ponds using a simple microscope composing of a single lens. Because of his discovery, new and more advanced microscopes were developed and are still being developed. These are divided into two types: Compound Microscopes and the Electron Microscopes. These microscopes can be seen with basic features like an eyepiece, body tube, arm, revolving nosepieces, objectives, stage, condenser, iris diaphragm, condenser adjusting knob, fine and coarse adjustment knobs, the base, and the illuminating light source. Of course, the microscope can not properly work without another important feature, the power source. The power source uses an electrical cord plugged to an AC power outlet. But because of the innovation of man, the usual microscope plugged into an AC power outlet is replaced by the cordless microscopes.

Development of Cordless Microscopes

The cordless microscopes were developed to address the concerns of the common microscopes with the electrical cords. This includes the fact that microscopes with the electrical cords can not be used outdoors and other locations where no AC electrical outlets are available.

How to Use Them

These days, cordless is the way to go. Below are basic and necessary tips/rules on using a cordless microscope.

1.    Always keep the lenses clear. Never wipe the delicate lenses with course paper such as a paper towel. To safely clean the oculars, first use a soft cotton applicator to wipe away any dust or course particles such as eye make-up in order to prevent scratching of the lens or the protective film on the lens. A dampened cotton swab may be used if necessary. Do not wipe the dust or foreign matter from the lens with a lens tissue before cleaning with a soft cotton swab. After first cleaning with a cotton swab, lens tissue may be used if desired.

2.    Always keep the oculars in the body tube in order to prevent dust from collecting on the inner lenses or prism.

3.    Do not attempt to take the eyepieces apart to clean the inner lenses. If this is necessary, it should be performed by a fully trained professional microscope technician.

4.    Never attempt to clean the lenses inside of the body tube.

5.    When placing a slide on the stage for examination, turn the revolving nosepiece so that the low power objective is in place. With the low power lens as close to the slide as possible, use the course adjuster and begin focusing until the image comes into view. When the image is in view, use the fine adjuster to obtain a clear sharp image.

6.    A beginner should never try to bring a specimen into focus with the high-dry or oil immersion lens. If a higher magnification is needed, “focus in” with the low power, then switch to the higher power. If the microscope is parfocal, the image will easily come into view when changing from low power to high-dry or oil immersion. There should only be a minor adjustment made using the fine adjustment knob in order to bring the image into sharp focus.

7.    When completing the microscopic examination, remember to “switch” the high power objective back to the lowest power objective on the microscope.

8.    After use, remove the slide, clean the microscope of any debris, dust, oil or “spills,” then cover it to keep it clean.

Important Notes

Please note that when cleaning the oil from the oil immersion lens, it is not necessary to clean off all of the oil. It is acceptable to just use a piece of lens tissue and blot the oil by placing the lens tissue on the oil objective and pulling it towards you. You may have to perform this procedure more than once to get the excess oil from the lens. If the oil gets into one of the other lenses, wipe it off thoroughly.

Finally, when transporting the microscope, it is necessary that you hold the arm of the microscope   with one hand while placing the other hand under the base. Never carry the microscope by the arm, using one hand only. Carrying it an angle with one hand holding the arm can cause the microscope to hit the work bench or other objects. Also, the objectives may fall out from the microscope. All these are the basic guidelines on how to use a cordless microscope.