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

Pretty somber statement don't you think?! Lets get you on the right track. You employ workers that need to be protected from their work environment. You may want to start by providing your employees with safety training specific to their working environment. Try the American Compliance Laboratory Safety Video Series. The series contains 12 video programs that are 15 to 20 minutes in length. The General Safety Training set includes a three-ring binder, a presenter’s guide, an employee quiz, scheduling forms, and training certificates. Each laboratory safety video tape program deals with a different subject. This Safety Video Series will Show both new employees and "seasoned veterans" the importance of safety in the laboratory as well as reviews the OSHA regulations and good safety practices that apply to laboratory environments.

That is a German Proverb Quote. What I want to really introduce you to is the world of Safety Glasses. If you are in any type of an industry where safety is a concern for your vision then you will want to take the time to read the rest of this article. I can't imagine what it would be like not to be able to see. Sometimes, I close my eyes just to see if I could survive in a world without my vision. Afterward, I can very much appreciate the gift of eyesight that has been given to me. I would like to introduce you to a pair of safety eyeglasses that will fit your outdoor working environments. If you primarily work outside and need protection from the constant glare of the sun then you will want to look at a pair of Pyramex Solo Safety Glasses which are commonly used for outdoor applications. Pryamex Solo Safety Glasses offer protection from excessive glare, they provide 99% protection from harmful UV-A and UV-B rays, they are scratch resistant, and have 100% Polycarbonate lenses. Two special features of the Pryamex Solo Safety Glasses are one that they are Lightweight and economical, the temples are vented on this spectacle for your added comfort. Two, they are available in jumbo sizes for use over prescription glasses. Three, they exceed the ANSI Z87.1-2003 High Velocity Impact Standards.

Laboratory glassware refers to glassware used for experiments in biology and chemistry laboratories. Some of the characteristics of laboratory glassware that make it better than plastic are its strength and increased heat resistance. Laboratory glassware can be used for measuring chemicals, growing media, storing chemicals, preparing solutions, and in distillations. Laboratory glassware washing and laboratory glassware cleaning are essential for continued use of glassware. Some laboratory glassware suppliers make laboratory glassware washers. A laboratory glassware washer is designed specifically for laboratory glassware as it can include rinsing solutions specific to cleaning glassware. Laboratory glassware suppliers such as Kimble/Kontes, Nalge Nunc, and Labglass/Wilmad provide laboratory glassware and plasticware for a wide range of applications.

"The use of personal protection equipment (PPE) is to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective in reducing these exposures to acceptable levels." This is a quote from the United States department of of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration. All employers are required to determine if (PPE) Personal Protection Equipment should be used to protect their workers. Personal Protective Equipment today, as in the past, makes working safer and workers more productive. Personal Protective equipment has been around for centuries for protection as they performed their work. For example, Medieval Knights had their armor, today Fireman have Fireproof Suits, Fireproof Gloves, Safety Helmets and Respirators. Blacksmiths had leather aprons, today Scientists have Chemical Spill Aprons. Eskimos wear a heavy parka, gloves, and boots. Laboratory associates wear DuPont Tyvek Coveralls, shoe covers, and laboratory gloves. Tyvek is also recommended for protection against all toxicity classes of dry pesticide formulations (granules, dust and powders) except chlorinated hydrocarbons. Tyvek is also Lightweight and breathable to keep you comfortable and cool. There are many other forms of Personal Safety Equipment, such as hearing protection, earplugs, and earmuffs. Remember to assess your work area, notify your superior should the need for Personal Safety Protection be warranted. Remember that Safety in the work place is a Team effort!

Viewing the microscopic world around us with a compound or stereoscopic microscope is a common daily activity in virtually every discipline of life science and material science. Perhaps only slightly less common but certainly as useful is the counting and/or sizing of features within a microscopic sample. Counting may be easily accomplished using grids of various configurations in an eyepiece reticle (also commonly known as an eyepiece reticule or eyepiece graticule). A grid can have the appearance of concentric circles, a uniform array of squares or even a custom pattern made to a scientists specifications. There are special universally accepted reticles available for counting specific particulate components such as asbestos. When simply counting, the choice of microscope may be made based on required field of view, magnification requirement (based on feature size) or any other convenient physical parameter. There is also no need to "calibrate" the optical system. When accurate determination of feature size is necessary, the microscope configuration is slightly more stringent. Because of parallax error inherent in the optical design of stereoscopic microscopes and user to user variability, they are generally not the first choice for this application. A more reliable and reproducible instrument is the compound microscope. In addition to an appropriate reticle , a stage micrometer will be required to calibrate the optical system. This process will help to ensure accurate and reproducible results with each and every specimen.

Microscopes may be optimized for many biomedical applications including live cell specimens, fixed cell specimens and special staining and/or observation methods. Common techniques include brightfield observation, phase contrast observation, polarization and fluorescence staining. As an example, asbestos particles in lung tissue may be observed and identified in a polarized light microscope by a pathologist examining a biopsy as he tries to diagnose a patient with acute respiratory disease. A basic polarized light configuration would include a polarizer, an analyser and perhaps a first order red compensator. A phase contrast microscope for 400x observation would require a phase contrast condenser with a phase ring for a 40x objective and a 40x phase contrast objective with a 40x annulus installed. Other examples include examinations for kidney stone identification, influenza antibodies and intestinal parasites. More advanced microscopes may be equipped so that all of these applications can be achieved on the same stand by selecting the correct installed components. Microscopes for use in hematology will usually include a 100x oil immersion objective for a very detailed examination of a stained differential smear for red blood cell morphology, estimate of platelet sufficiency and white blood cell types and their relative numbers. This analysis will provide valuable information for infections, allergic responses and identification of more serious diseases including acute and chronic leukemias. With a liberal budget, one might be able to create a "universal" microscope.

Shakers are ideal for almost any vessel from microcentrifuge tubes through Petri dishes and microtitre plates to conical flasks. Shakers are available with either an orbital action where the platform moves in a circular orbit or a reciprocating linear movement where the platform moves back and forth horizontally. An orbital action provides a swirling action on the sample, ideal for aeration. A linear shaker is more aggressive making it ideal for applications such as extractions. A flask shaker applies the movement directly to the sample vessel, rather than via a platform. The sample vessel, typically a flask or bottle, is clamped around the neck and shaken in a pivotal motion. This mimics the type of aggressive shaking action that would be generated when the flask is shaken by hand. For example you could use this piece of equipment during a solvent extraction. Rockers work in a similar way to platform shakers but are much less aggressive on the sample. Rockers utilise either a see saw action, where the platform rocks on a central point, or a gentler 3D gyratory action where the platform moves in a three dimensional motion about the central point. A see saw action provides a wave motion in the sample, ideal for washing. A 3D gyratory action very gently swirls the sample making it ideal for delicate cell culturing, staining and de-staining procedures etc. In some cases a tier system is available where magnetic platforms can be stacked to increase capacity, without increasing the footprint. The microtitre plate shakers are specifically designed to provide a fast mixing action about a tight obit ideal for mixing microtitre plates. The flask shakers offers a mechanical simulation of hand shaking flasks, for instance during extractions.