Inverted microscope viewing

[Frankiev]

I've just acquired a Leitz Diavert microscope and am just about to make slides appropriate for the viewing requirements. I intend cutting 12 mm holes in standard slides and gluing a cover slip in place.
Has anyone done this? Is there anything I should beware of other than ensuring a good seal all round?

[charlie g]

Hi, frankiev, if your observation portal is the cover glass 'floor'..no need to utilize hard to work with glass slides.

Choose an easier material to cut apertures in, for your coverslip observation 'floor'. Consider using the larger rectangular cover slips ( do not limit your slides to: 12mmx12mm cover slips).

best of luck, charlie g

[macnmotion]

I've just acquired a Leitz Diavert microscope and am just about to make slides appropriate for the viewing requirements. I intend cutting 12 mm holes in standard slides and gluing a cover slip in place.
Has anyone done this? Is there anything I should beware of other than ensuring a good seal all round?

At one point I tried gluing (using super glue) coverslips to plastic petri dishes that I had cut into with an exacto blade. It worked for a while, however the superglue was messy so some encroached into where organisms would settle, hindering the view. And at one point when I was viewing snail embryos the glue finally gave out and began to leak -- however this may have been caused by my use of dish soap and wiping to clean the cover glass between use. I've used commercial well slides, however the sloped well makes refocusing a constant necessity while moving around the well. A friend running a University lab sent me a note recently that they've come up with a 3D printed solution that us a water tight dish which you can screw in coverslips, replacing the commercial coverslip-bottomed dishes they have been using. I haven't seen one so I can't comment on how it's designed or its efficacy.

[einman]

Gluing or otherwise adding a coverslip to the bottom of say a petri dish in order to use higher resolution objectives has been discussed on the forum. You can actually purchase petri dishes with 0.17 mm glass inserts.

Inverted microscopes use objectives designed for larger distances and thicker glass such as used in petri dishes and/or flasks. Unless your aim is to use objectives with a higher na, than typically comes with the inverted scope, the use of a coverslip etc is not necessary. You can "view" through a regular slide using the lwd objectives provided and still be within the limitations of the condenser. Keep in mind the condenser of the Diavert will limit resolution. Most inverted condensers are 0.55 na or less. I do not recall what the Diavert condenser was rated at. If you desire higher resolution images you can use the Diavert to locate and remove specimens to a welled slide or several other alternative observation devices. Then you can use your compound scope to get higher resolution.

[einman]

You can use observation chambers such as this. I have been using them for years. https://www.carolina.com/protist-viewin ... Cat=&sCat=

You can also use: https://www.carolina.com/protist-viewin ... mpaign=pdp

Which I have been using for years as well.

[Alexander]

I simply use standard Petri dishes with my Diavert, the only exception being fluorescence work using oil immersion objectives.

[Frankiev]

Many thanks to you all for your suggestions.

[Frankiev]

Sorry macnmotion for misspelling your name.....and possibly mis-spelling misspelling.