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Hello,

I was hoping for input on how to protect the objectives on an inverted scope 
from oil running down the sides, and ultimately into the objective. 

We are running a core facility with many users, and the obvious solution (use 
less oil) doesn't seem to be obvious to some of them.
Especially on our Zeiss LSM 510s, due to the design of the objectives, we see 
that oil finds its way into the objectives (and in one extreme case, even back 
out of the bottom), and we are wasting time and resources to clean and repair 
them.

I've looked around the web, and brainstormed with colleagues, and found the 
following:

1 - Cut a finger off an examination glove, cut a small hole at the end, and slip 
over entire objective.
Concerns: Does the glove fit tight enough so that oil doesn't get sucked under 
it by capillary action? Will the oil degrade latex/nitrile?

2 - Put an O-ring around objective as an "oil dam."
Concerns: Similar to 1, worries about tightness of seal, and stability of 
material. What kind of O-ring should I look for? Simple rubber band?

3 - Create a drip collar (similar to wine bottle collar) by wrapping layers of 
lens paper or other tissue around objective and securing with rubber band.
Concerns: Similar to 1 and 2.

I would appreciate if people on the forum could give feedback on methods that 
have worked for them.
Thanks,
Elke


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Elke Küster-Schöck
CIAN (Cell Imaging and Analysis Network)
Proteomics & Genomics Coordinator, Microscopy Associate
McGill University, Montreal QC, Canada