“NIH Cites Yale Researcher’s Innovative Work on Microscopes “ is the headline [1] of one of the recent news items.The story is about the five-year grant of the National Institiute for Health for medical research using a new powerful microscope that makes it possible for researchers to observe the behaviours of the human body cells and how the different processes they are parts of go awry and result to such diseases as type-2 diabetes or cancer. Can you imagine the medical advancement that will result from the observation of the basic unit of living things?
It is not only in the field of medical research that modern and sophisticated microscopes are used to discover previously “unseen” but also in the fields of education, science and technology, archeology, and the arts. In nanotechnology, the so called technology of the future, the transmission -electron microscope or TEM is used to take measurements in nanometers. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter.
The microscope, an instrument used to magnify the image of objects, has come a long way from just a magnifying lens centuries ago. Its ability to magnify objects through a lens or a combination of lenses and a light source has opened the world of living and non-living things previously invisible to the human unaided eyes. As the microscope continued to improve in its capability, various features have been incorporated by the different sectors who needed the improvement. As of now there are many kinds of microscopes, with features to suit the varying needs of their users. Anyone who require a magnifying instrument can choose from the simple to the complex research grade mass produced models depending on the functions they are intending to use them for. Following are some of the features/capabilities of the different modern microscopes:
1. Three Dimensional Images
The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is capable of showing the subject or specimen in three dimensions. High power magnification is made possible with the electron stream from donors like tungsten. More powerful than the light microscopes, the specimens or objects can be magnified by as much as a million tumes.
2. Two Dimensional Images
The other electron micoscope, the Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM) shows two dimentional images. The subject or specimen is placed in slides, similar to those used in slide projectors. Like the SEM, the TEM has the capablity to magnify very small objects. even those as small as atoms.
3. Video Camera
Before the video cameras, the viewer had to described the specimen’s appearance in detail, sometimes by comparing or likening it with other known objects. An illustration of the image is also often resorted to. Aside from being subjective, the descriptions would never be enough to give the real appearance of the image. That is why video cameras have improved the accuracy in the reports of microscopic analyses. The output of video cameras can be a video screen or a printed copy of the image. This feature maybe changed soon to digital cameras.
5. Illumination
The specimen should be well illuminated with a glare-free, evenly-dispersed light. For the optical microscopes, the common light sources are the halogen bulbs, tungsten bulbs, lasers and the light emitting diodes (LEDs).
6. Digital Camera
Imaging technology without the use of film and produces real time images . Cheaper and easier to use that the conventional methods of producing images from microscopes.
7.Lenses
Higher magnifications and clearer images are achieved by better shapes, design and the correct combination of lenses- the eyepieces and the objectives.
8. Cordless
This means that the microscope has no cord to connect to the electricity supply outlets. The unit has a built in power source in the form of batteries capable of supporting long hours of viewing between rechargings.
9. Ergonomic Style, Stable designs
The modern designs are not only comfortable for long-time viewing, they are also more stable, for a better, more consistent view of the magnified object.
10. USB port
This feature makes it easier to connect with cameras or software and to show the viewed images in computer or other video screens.
The cordless feature is one innovation that would popularize further the use of microscopes. The users can choose from the various types of long-life lamps and rechargeable batteries available. Regular betteries can even be used
because the LED lamp uses less power than the other types of light source.
The cordless feature “liberates” the microscope for the scientists and students who can now have the magnified views of important living things and materials as is, where is, in their natural appearances. Having more microscopes in the field would result to faster and more discoveries.
Visit cordless-microscope.com for more information about cordless microscopes.