PHASE CONTRAST AND POLARIZED LIGHT MICROSCOPY

Image by John Boettcher

COMPONENTS

http://www.microscopyu.com/articles/phasecontrast/phasemicroscopy.html

http://www.microscopyu.com/articles/polarized/polarizedintro.html

PHASE CONTRAST

*Phase Contrast Microscope invented in 1932 by Fritz Zernike. *Phase contrast is used to look at materials that are transparent, such as asbestos or biological samples. * Can be used for live specimens.

http://www.microscopyu.com/articles/phasecontrast/phasemicroscopy.html

*Light traveling through transparent objects travels slower than in air causing small differences in the wavelength speed. Light waves of different speeds are brought together, causing destructive interference, allowing small and low contrast samples to be viewed.

POLARIZED LIGHT MICROSCOPY

*Has been used for over 100 years to identify minerals

*Enhances images of materials with a refractive index that is dependent on the polarization of light, crystalline materials. *Used for many minerals including silica and asbestos, or some plastics.

POLARIZED LIGHT MICROSCOPY

*The light passes through a polarizer and an analyzer and interacts with the light refracting form the specimen to form an image.

ENPH MICROSCOPE

*ENPH microscope dates to prior than 1989.

*Contains phase contrast (PL), and polarized light (PO) objectives. *Can be used to identify asbestos using phase contrast microscopy. *A grid in the oculars can be used to measure sample size. *Parts not working correctly to identify silica using polarized microscopy. *Immersion oil and cover slips can be used to keep sample in place.

SAFETY

*Caution needs to be taken when working with silica, asbestos or other samples. *Work in the hood to prevent breathing in airborne particles when creating the slides. *Wear proper gloves to prevent contamination of the sample and protect your hand. *Goggles and/or a respirator may be needed when handling dangerous substances or preparing slides. *Be careful when handing slides to prevent breakage.

SAFETY

*Dont work for long periods leaning over the microscope to prevent eye strain, cramps and muscle strain. Take breaks and focus on a distant object every 10 to 30 minutes, stretch at least every hour. *Use foam pads to support arms and prevent leaning directly on hard surfaces. *Minimize glare and reflective surfaces in the work area to prevent eye fatigue. *Try to set the microscope to a height so that your feet are flat on the ground (or on a stool) and you do not need to lean over the microscope to see in the oculars. *Use a chair with back support. *Keep room humidity between 30% and 50% to prevent dry eyes. *Spread microscope use between multiple people.

SAFETY

Proper Egonomics

https://cfo.asu.edu/ergonomics-lab-microscopy

SOURCES

Murphy, D., Oldfield, R., Schwartz, S., Davidson, M., Introduction to Microscope, http://www.microscopyu.com/articles/phasecontrast/phasemicroscopy.h tml 2. http://www.olympusmicro.com/primer/techniques/polarized/polarizedh ome.html 3. http://www.osha.gov/dts/sltc/methods/inorganic/id191/id191.html 4. http://www.microscopyu.com/articles/polarized/polarizedintro.html 5. http://www.lonestar.edu/16762.htm

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