MicroscopesBlog: Expert's reviews, news, notes on Microscopes, Centrifuges, Lab Coats, Pipettes, Lab Safety, & more Lab Products!

Want to know who is popular around here on the red carpet on microscopes.com? Well there are quite a few names to mention. EMD as seen just a few moments ago walking down the center of the red carpet. I had a few moments to interview him. This is what he had to say; "Don't forget my partner Merck" I can't take all the credit. We are partners in the research reagents group of the Life Science Products division of Merck. We have actually been around a long time, since 1668. We were born in Darmstadt , Germany and we now have locations in over 53 countries!" "We would like to thank our customers who include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic and research institutions, hospitals and government laboratories." You should take a look at some of our products found on microscopes.com Take a look at product code EM-PM-9590-1, this is a colorpHast test strip that provides a suitable method for for accurate colorimetric pH indication. Partner Merck, is now taking the mike, "hey don't forget about the EM-PM-10019-1 Ion Specific Test Strips. The EMQuant Strips are completed in mere seconds, dip, remove and compare. We provide the color scale to compare your results to." We want to especially thank microscopes.com for the opportunity to interview and to speak about a few of our top selling products." Well good luck EMD & Merck I hope to see you at the award ceremonies!

OCD, better known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be a terrifying and time consuming disorder which includes obsessions and compulsions. One of the most popular symptoms is having a severe fear or phobia of germs. If you have a loved one or a friend that has this disorder, you might consider easing their fear by purchasing a sterile face mask for them. See item KM-LF-62467 a sterile face mask that has soft Cotton ties. Having something like this on hand might ease their fear and give them some control and peace of mind. This particular face mask is sterile and is manufactured by Kimberly Clark. This mask has an outer layer of apertured polyethylene film to provide protection from contamination. This face mask provides bacteria filtration efficiency of 91.9% and particle filtration efficiency of 93.1%. They are also gamma-sterilized. Providing your loved one or friend with the tools they need to feel in control might be the best thing that you can do for them. Maybe you would also want to purchase a sterile glove? Why not try item B7-LG-S9905PFM? This is a nitrile glove that is ambidextrous , it is powder free and it contains no latex. It almost feels like a second skin. You can barely feel any pressure on your hands. Thinking outside of the box and giving in a way that will help your loved one by really providing them with an outlet. These items will protect their minds and their skin from some of the symptoms of this disorder. **I am not a doctor**I am just applying some common sense relief to a wide spread of people that have this disorder or that may know someone that does. Be strong...

Do you need your lab partners to come on board and get with the grove? Or do you just need a great pair of shoe covers for the lab? I have just the shoe covers for you! You probably work in a cleanroom environment and need the highest level of sterilized and static protection shoe cover on the market! How about a shoe cover by Cardinal Health? Try the CH-LF-9823 a Micro-Clean High top, sterile boot cover that is manufactured by Cardinal Health. This boot cover is packaged by the pair in anti-static, puncture free bags. They are made of Tyvek a high quality material that is going to provide you with a superior barrier against splashes. The shoe cover is skid resistant, no accidents in you lab! They also have an elasticized top and they tie at the ankles. What more could a research scientist or lab scientist want? This is the creme de la creme of lab apparel! You have got to get yourself a pair! Some other shoe cover manufactures include, Alpha Pro Tech, Dupont, Atlantis Plastics, Interworld Network, and International Enviroguard.

Speaking about protection, what kind of lab coat do you use? What type of laboratory do you work in? There are differnt lab coats for all types of environments. Something we think is so simplistic is ultimately made up of a very complicated technology. The Alpha Pro Tech Lab Coats are made for critical lab environments, such as cleanrooms of pharmaceutical companies, hospitals,nursing homes,dentist offices and so on. Take a look at product code A3-LF-LC-12421-1 which is the Alpha Pro Tech Lab Coat for such environments. Kimberly Clark also offers a selection of lab coats for use in laboratory environments. Look at product code KM-LF-10019 this is a Kimberly Clark Kleenguard A20 Breathable Particle Protection Lab Coat. This lab coat is specifically designed to meet FDA & CFR requirements for food contact use. Superior Uniform also offers a variety of cleanroom environment lab coats. Look at product code S6-LF-424-XL this is a Superior Uniform Unisex Microstat ESD Lab Coat which is ideal for your cleanroom environment where controlling static is critical. White Swan offers lab coats for the cleanroom critical environment as well as the general lab use. See our product code WW-LF-1165-311-L for the cleanroom and see our product code WW-LF-6116-11-L for your general lab environment. These are unisex and come in a variety of colors. Keep yourself protected at all times by wearing protective lab coverings.

There was a time when people found it impossible to imagine a vacuum. How could there be a place where there is nothing? After the Michelson/Morley experiment in 1887 failed to find the Luminiferous Aether the earth was supposed to be traveling through, the possibility of a vacuum in space began to be accepted. Actually Muslim scientists were discussing the possibility of creating a vacuum around the turn of the first century. By the 17th century European water pump design was good enough to produce a measurable vacuum. A perfect vacuum is unachievable in the laboratory and does not exist in space. There are many uses for vacuums, however imperfect, in the laboratory. Vacuum ovens by Sheldon and Thermo are used to dry samples, or remove volatile solvents from samples. Filtering flasks, Buchner funnels and filter funnels are used to filter samples. Buchi Rotary evaporators, Labconco vacuum concentrators, Eppendorf centrifugal concentrators, and Labconco freeze dry systems are all used for removing volatiles from samples. For a small vacuum environment Nalge Nunc makes vacuum chambers and vacuum desiccators as does Bel-Art. A vacuum may be created in a number of ways, the obvious of which is a vacuum pump. Some vacuum pumps are simple for mostly dry samples such as the Gast pumps. Some are designed for specific purposes such as handling volatile organics like the Gardner Denver Welch and BrandTech pumps. A vacuum can be created by aspiration, Nalge Nunc and Troemner Henry make such devices. Nalgene also makes a hand pump for creating a vacuum for a small volume. To carry the vacuum to the apparatus, vacuum tubing and valves are necessary. Vacuum grease is used to maintain a vacuum seal. Remember, there is a place for nothing.

So, now you have your pump, pump head and now you need tubing. What tubing are you currently using? If you are just setting up your pump system you will need to ask yourself some questions I hope you know the answers to. What is your application? What is your ID (Inner Diameter) tubing requirement. What is your OD (Outer Diameter) tubing requirement? Do you need a rigid or flexible tubing? What are you running through the tubing? You will need to know what your media is so that you can find the correct formulation of tubing. Do you have cleaning or sterilization requirements? Some of the tubing formulations are; Red Rubber,Latex Rubber, PVC, Polyethylene, Silicone, and Tygon tubing. The list can go on, but correct tubing material is crucial when building your pump system. The material is very specific to what you are running through it. Some of the familliar manufacture names of laboratory tubing are Dow Corning, Kent Elastomer, Kimble/Kontes, Nalge Nunc, and Saint Gobain. Unless your pump comes with a fitting, you will then need to select a fitting that will fit securely into your tubing. Again most of the same questioins apply for your fittings as with the tubing above. What type of configuration are you looking for? an Elbow, T or Y-Connector, Plug, or Straight fitting? you will also need to know what temperature you are working with to make sure that the fitting can handle it. So, now you should have the basic tools needed to make better informed choices when having to select tubing and fittings for your pump.

Ok, you need a vacuum pump for an application that requires vacuum? Did you know that a vacuum pump is any device that can stimulate a pressure difference between the two regions in the space is called a vacuum pump? The pump that creates the vacuum in the certain system is called a vacuum pump. Take a look at the Gardner Denver Welch Vacuum Pumps, specifically the GW-BE-1376B-01. If you are looking for a vacuum pump that is going to offer you a long life then this just might be what you are looking for. It runs on lower rpm's (revolutions per minute) which means it's going to run cooler longer. Because it runs at a low speed, it lowers the rate of friction and and ware and tear on the pump. The Gardner Denver Welch Vacuum Pumps are built rugged for your tough applications. There are also other items you will need after you have made your decision on the vacuum pump. What type of tubing does your application require? What size tubing will you need. This particular vacuum pump takes 13/16 of an inch tubing ID(Inner Diameter). I suggest red rubber tubing (hose). The pump comes with a hose barb fitting and your tubing will expand to fit snugly over the top.

So, you are allergic to Latex, many people are. If you work in a cleanroom environment and cannot use the Safeskin Latex Gloves KM-LG-HC1365S then you can use the Safeskin Nitrile gloves, which are latex free! by Kimberly Clark. Nitrile is a material that is known to be chlorinated in its manufacturing process and it is that process that removes any powders from the glove. They provide a barrier to static and will not cause static while in use. These gloves come in many different sizes, 100 gloves to a box and they also have textured finger tips to ensure control. Take a look at our product code KM-LG-56865 these are Safeskin Controlled Nitrile Gloves in a size medium. These are an excellent alternative to the Safeskin Controlled Latex Gloves, especially since it can be dangerous to wear a latex glove if you are allergic to latex!

Do you work in a cleanroom critical environment? Then you want to use Safeskin Critical Natural Rubber Latex Gloves manufactured by Kimberly Clark, item # KM-LG-HC1310 These gloves were specifically designed for the cleanroom environment. Kimberly Clark designed a Critical Cleanroom Glove Technology which enabled them to produce a product that has an exceptionally low level of particle and extractible contamination. Because the gloves are manufactured for a cleanroom environment, they are double bagged for cleanliness. This is a latex glove and should not be worn by individuals that are allergic to Latex. Latex is the protein, starch, or resin that are found in certain cells found in certain plants, such as milkweed, rubber tree, and poppy. **Definition provided by Google Search**Dicks Sporting Goods.

Know anyone like that? It might be because they have worked in an environment that was not condusive for their hearing. Over time, the abuse on your ears from noise contributes to hearing loss by damaging your inner ear. As we age a gradual hearing loss also occurs. What you can do to protect your ears is to purchase hearing protection, such as earmufs or earplugs. If you work in a noisy environment, like a warehouse with loud machinery, you will want to purchase a pair of Bacou-Dalloz Bilsom VIKING Earmuffs, item # B1-LF-1010927

Okay, here we go! Fall is arriving and I am certain that my "Honey Do" list that I wrote our for my honey, has things on it from this summer, that have not been gotten to. That's okay, we'll work on them together this fall. One of the items on my "Honey Do" list is working on the yard. We need to mow, pull weeds, prune bushes, and so on. Then we need tp prepare the lawn for winter, one last mowing, blow the leaves off of the grass. Many of these items take gasoline to operate, the saw that we use to prune the bushes, filling the tank on the mower, filling up the yard blower. With the price of gas alone, I dont' want to keep running to the gas station to fill up each tool seperately. I want to purchase a safety can, probably more than one. I am buying my honey a couple of the Eagle Manufacturing Safety Cans. These cans are made out of galvanized steel and have non-leaking caps. This will make it easy for transporting the gasoline from the gas station to the house. The particular caps on the Eagle manufacturing safety containers do allow room for the gas pressure to escape. After the gas pressure is relieved the cap automatically closes! How great is that! Take a look at the Eagle Manufacturing Type 1 Safety Can , model # EW-LF-UI-20FS Well, I may keep adding to the "Honey Do" list, but at least I keep my honey safe!

So, Summer is almost gone, fall is aproaching and so are those around the house projects. Blowing the leaves off of the grass, painting the garage, sealing the driveway, replacing some boards in your deck. How about hunting season? do you spend time at the shooting range? Are you an enthusiast and enjoy Paint Ball? All of these things are things that we must do or enjoy doing. You must also take responsibility for your eyes and the eyes of anyone assisting in or joining you in these activities. There are tons of Safety Glasses for these types of projects. For your paint ball enjoyment and eye protection from the paint and force of the ball, you might want to look for a safety goggle. Try the Bacou-Dalloz Uvex Flex Seal Safety Goggles, item # B1-FT-S3410X. This safety goggle protects against impacts as well as chemical splashes. You could also use this goggle to blow the leaves off of the grass in your yard, for painting, sealiing the driveway and many more low impact and chemical applications. For the master of tools and house projects this fall, give them a pair of DeWalt Concealer Protective Glasses. These will protect you or your helper from an impact of anything that might fall into the eyes while working with a saw, or cement mixture. DeWalt is a name that is probably familliar to most of us. For your carpenter at home get them a pair of the Concealer Protective Glasses, item # DW-FT-DPG82. It will show them you care about their safety. They also make a great Christmas gift. It is never to early to start thinking about Christmas! Be safe this fall, and get yourself a pair!

Ok, it's really no big secret that most of us don't like to wear eyeglasses. Some of us don't particularly like the way they look or feel on the end of our noses. I am so slightly nearsighted, that I really don't want to pay $300.00 for a pair of glasses. I use a magnifier to see very small things up close. Magnifiers come in handy, they can be placed 4" over paperwork, and other images to bring those things closer so that you are not straining to see. There are several Brand name manufactures of magnifiers, such as Bausch & Lomb, Nikon, Carson, and Barska . If you are like me, you can buy a full size page 8 X 10 magnifying sheet and place it over a page in a magazine, on a calendar, over a picture to bring those images close for viewing ease. Try the Carson Magnisheet, item CN-LM-DM11. This is a very handy gadget. It comes with a frame and is a very reliable magnifier. The name "Carson" should say everything!

If you are into Forensics, Pathology, or Genetics, you will want to add a digital microscope camera to your lab! The three fields above are very cool fields to be in along with many others that utilize microscopes with digital camera's. Some other occupational fields that use the digital microscope cameras are biology, mineralogy, geology, and quality control. There are many, these are just a few occupational studies that certainly cannot survive without having a microscope with a digital camera in their labs. In the field of Forensics, high reliable image quality is the basic requirement for conclusive results and precise documentation of the finest details. In the world of Pathology, the scientist must evaluate and assess histological tissues. Histology (from the Greek) is the study of tissue sectioned as a thin slice using a microtome. It can be described as microscopic anatomy.**Definition of Histology received from Wikipedia** In the field of Genetics you need a microscope that is suitable for all different kinds of fluorescence methods. For any of the applications above, I would recommend the LOMO Trinocular Invertoscope, model number LA-MI-INVERTOSCOPE-INIQ903DIC. This high performance, superior quality microscope will allow you to attach a 35mm digital camera. The LOMO Invertoscope is capable of brightfield, phase contrast and polarization. It also has an Illuminator Condenser system that has two operating positions; a lower for observing specimens in culture plates and upper for sophisticated flasks. It also has a halogen lamp that always promises a bright image for all magnifications, contrast techniques, and flawless color temperature control for photomicrography. So to get into anyone of these interesting fields, try the LOMO Invertoscope! You won't regret it!

Many of us own 35mm cameras, they might be digital or you might have an older non-digital version. A camera is a great addition to any microscope that is set up to allow you to take pictures of what it is that you are viewing under the microscope!Trinocular microscopes are specifically designed with an additional socket so that you can attach a camera to it. A trinocular microscope is a binocular microscope that has an additional external socket that is specifically shaped to receive a camera. In order to attach the camera to the microscope, you need to know if the lens of your 35mm camera is removable. If the lens is not removable, you will not be able to attach it to a trinocular microscope. Now that we have determined that your camera is a 35mm camera with a removable lens, we need to get you a T-Ring is also known as a T-Mount it is a gadget that is used to connect the camera body to the microscope.

Endoscopy is a procedure used to look into the esophagus, stomach, large and small intestine, colon and rectum, in order to treat or diagnose a condition. There are many different kinds of endoscopy, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, sigmoidoscopy, enteroscopy, and a few more I can't even pronounce. I will have to have an Upper GI (gastrointestinal) endoscopy test to determine what the pains are that I have in my upper GI tract. The reason that someone might have to have an upper GI Endoscopy is to diagnose and treat symptoms. Due to some of our diets, heredity or environment the upper GI is a place where many disorders can occur. Such as an ulcer, an ulcer can develop in the esophagus, stomach or large intestine. Someone with an ulcer might have symptoms, like difficulty swallowing, or stomach pain or indigestion. Intestinal bleeding, hidden or massive bleeding may have occurred for a various amount of reasons. Esophagitis and heart burn more commonly known as (GERD)

Endoscopy means to look inside, and really refers to looking inside of the body for medical reasons using an instrument called an endoscope. Endoscopy is a minimally invasive medical procedure that is used to review the interior surface of an organ by inserting a tube into the body. The endoscope usually has a flexible tube that is rigid and not only provides an image for the doctor to study, but it also provides photographs as well as providing the doctor with an opportunity to take a biopsy and to retreive foreign objects. An endoscope has several components that make up the instrument, which include a rigid flexible tube, a light that illuminates the organ or object that will be studied, a lens that transmits the image to the viewer from the fiberscope, and and additional channel that allows entry of other medical instruments.