Visually Handicapped Microscope User

Post articles here that do not fit into other categories. I may add more categories to accommodate these posts.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
linuxusr
Posts: 220
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 9:00 pm
Location: Dominican Republic

Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#1 Post by linuxusr » Wed May 05, 2021 12:42 am

Anyone else is my situation? I am blind in one eye: NLP = No LIght Perception; ROP = Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Needless to say, I can never use:

a. my microscope binoularly;
b. cannot use focuing rings to adjust diopters
c. cannot use inter-pupillary distance

But I can use a 10x eyepiece in one eyepiece and a 16x in the other. This gives me magnifications of
40, 64, 100, 160, 400, 640, for objectives 4x, 10x, 40x. I just switch me eye between oculars. Koehler illumination does not need to be adjusted, only increased lighting and fine adjustment, as with any increase in objective power.

I just received my new ocular today and tried it out on a series of known and prepared specimens. What I found out is that with the ocular > 10x I do lose some resolution. That is because it is theta or the angle of degrees in the formula NA=sin(theta) that determines resolution, and that is found in the objective, not in the eyepiece. However, the increased useful magnification does give me useful visual inputs.

In my good eye, I am low vision. This makes it hard for me to prepare specimens. I use a gooseneck lamp with 10x magnification and LED lights that clamps onto my lab table. I do all my mounting and dissecting under than lens.
Nikon AlphaPhot 2 < Zeiss Primostar 3, Full Köhler; Axiocam 208 Color < UHD LG
Aller Anfang ist schwer.

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#2 Post by Greg Howald » Wed May 05, 2021 2:55 am

I am only slightly visually impaired with a small and thankfully arrested spot of macular degeneration in the right eye. My problem is essential tremor in both hands when I try to write or do fine work. I've had to develope my own crutches for making slides and it takes a lot of patience to pull it off. I've become fairly good at making permanent mounts and am happy with that. I suppose most of us feel that microscopy is worth the effort no matter what disabilities we may have. Above all enjoy the experience.
Greg

EYE C U
Posts: 288
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 5:18 pm

Re: Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#3 Post by EYE C U » Sat May 08, 2021 7:16 pm

Got issues with both eyes right now..first one started hemorrhaging inside then a month later my other has what looks like grey scribbled circle around the center that showed up right after they looked into my eyes at the doc. my theory is when the guy wiped the lens because of covid the residual liquid acted as a magnifying glass and damaged the retina.needless to say. not happy

Sabatini
Posts: 464
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:09 am

Re: Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#4 Post by Sabatini » Sun May 09, 2021 7:45 pm

https://www.mccrone.com/wp-content/uplo ... mbook1.pdf
Great professor.
Please read this beautiful book.

User avatar
linuxusr
Posts: 220
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 9:00 pm
Location: Dominican Republic

Re: Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#5 Post by linuxusr » Sun May 09, 2021 9:07 pm

@Sabatini

Thank you for this wonderful .pdf I am not the first person to be enthralled by diatoms. Unfortunately, in LM we do not see them in their full 3D glory. I will definitely read.
Nikon AlphaPhot 2 < Zeiss Primostar 3, Full Köhler; Axiocam 208 Color < UHD LG
Aller Anfang ist schwer.

User avatar
linuxusr
Posts: 220
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 9:00 pm
Location: Dominican Republic

Re: Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#6 Post by linuxusr » Sun May 09, 2021 10:53 pm

@EYE CU

See a retinal specialist, consult with dilation! Sorry to hear . . .
Nikon AlphaPhot 2 < Zeiss Primostar 3, Full Köhler; Axiocam 208 Color < UHD LG
Aller Anfang ist schwer.

User avatar
cuxlander
Posts: 146
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 12:13 pm

Re: Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#7 Post by cuxlander » Mon May 10, 2021 9:15 am

Hi,
My right eye has very low vision, the left one is OK.
So I have problems similar to yours.
I have found and purchased this mono/photo eyepiece, which fits on all of the old Zeiss Standards:

Image
edit: If the image does not show, here is another link:
http://www.hans-rothauscher.de/testacee ... junior.jpg

Cheers,
Hans
Attachments
junior.jpg
junior.jpg (25.96 KiB) Viewed 2235 times
Last edited by cuxlander on Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
linuxusr
Posts: 220
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 9:00 pm
Location: Dominican Republic

Re: Visually Handicapped Microscope User

#8 Post by linuxusr » Mon May 10, 2021 9:20 pm

@cuxlander

Very nice photo, Hans! It is a Zeiss, no? I used to think that if I was blind in one eye that I could save money by buying a monocular but that was naive! Interestingly, I now use two eyepieces, one "normal" at 10x and the other at 16x. I can just switch back and forth with my one eye as I cannout use interpupillary distance. At 16x I just need to increase illumination and fine focus per usual.

Kurt aka "linuxusr"
Nikon AlphaPhot 2 < Zeiss Primostar 3, Full Köhler; Axiocam 208 Color < UHD LG
Aller Anfang ist schwer.

Post Reply