HELP: IDENTIFY STRANGE APPARATUS WITH OBJECTIVE 10X AND FILTERS

[stjepo]

The methacrylate prism reminded me plastic scintillators where the plastic matrix carries fluorescent material responding to ionizing radiation excitation. Cherenkov/scintillaton characterization maybe? UV block with yellow filters etc. Just pure speculation...

Check, if it is slightly more radioactive compared to background. The prism might be scintillator?

tpruuden, "Check, if it is slightly more radioactive compared to background" excuse my ignorance could you tell me how can I do that?

"The prism might be scintillator?" Do you mean the prism that is under the device?

You maybe right:

"The scintillation properties of plastic scintillators based on polymethyl methacrylate with various luminescent dyes are considered. It is shown that replacing the naphthalene conventionally used in these scintillators as a secondary solvent with octadeuteronaphthalene and 1,3-divinylbenzene will not alter either their scintillation efficiency and optical transparency, or their thermal, light, and radiation-damage stability; replacing it with 1,1,3-trimethyl-3-phenylindan, however, improves all these characteristics. It is demonstrated that n-terphenyl, 2,5-diphenyloxazole, 2-biphenyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazole, 2-biphenyl-(α-naphthyl)-1,3-oxazole, 2-phenyl-5-(4-biphenylyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole, and 2-(4′-tret-butylphenyl)-5-(4″-biphenylyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole can be used as luminescent activators, and n-bis-(o-methylstyryl)-benzene and 1,4-di-(5-phenyl-2-oxazolyl)-benzene are applicable as wavelength shifters." https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 005-0052-8


Thank you for your answer

Steve

[stjepo]

The instrument's mechanism points to a projection microscope, that much is certain but to what end? That is the real question.
Many projection microscopes were demonstration microscopes, made for putting micro images up on a screen or wall so groups of people could view them in a seminar or tutorial setting : basically a general purpose BF microscope with 3 objectives, a high output lamp and reflecting mirror used like a delineoscope. Some companies catalogued these, B & L and several others, one of which only made projection microscopes. The mirror could be top or at the bottom , if the lamp was up top and the microscope inverted. They are still popular in China and India, where the student to teaching aid and faculty ratio can be enormous.

This one is different because it seems custom made for a specific type of microscopy, almost as though the subject matter dictated that the viewing had to be remote. I'm pretty sure the yellow filters hold the key to it's purpose, seeming similar to the uv filtering found on more modern fluorescence microscopes.

Right, the filters may give us a clue. The person who designed maybe inspired his prototype in these comercial products.

Thanks

Steve