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Hello Elke:
 
We used to have the same issue with our old Zeiss objectives, our solution was reevaluate specs and brand change as soon as we have the oportunity of buying new systems, we purchased factory sealed objectives with a inverted microscope design in mind, as this is the most often used device in our location. So now is easier for us cleaning, working, spilling and everything, we have been showed by service guys sometimes when maintenance is made to the microscope (every 4-6 months) a lot of oil downstream, trough the objective, nosepiece, and even to part of the body of the microscope, but even then, there is no entrance into the objective, and we have never shipped back objectives (even when somebody by  mistake "lubricates abundantly" the dry, non oil, not specially sealed, 20x objective, something that we see almost every week) the images quality, time for regular service or performance in general once we clean the optics, is back to normal.
 
We make a weekly detailed cleaning of the objectives, mainly dry ones, in order to avoid the oil where we know that it should not be and that it can be able to go inside it. But even sometimes when Holyday comes and there is a long delay in cleaning (3 - 4 weeks) we have been fortunate enough to be able to clean the 20x, 10x and 4x without damage. In this objectives is in the only ones that we have been previously told by Olympus that oil might go inside.
 
Another important thing is the reduction in expenses that we noticed as the MTBF and service time was shorter than before which end up giving you more time to work, and more money in saled services.
 
Not easy solution but a definitive one, by the way I noticed that all the complains in oil management are from only the same two brands, so if there is someone having the same or different luck that we have with this brand please let us all know to make a larger population sampling for this statement.
 
Regards
 
Gabriel Orozco Hoyuela
 

> Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:47:06 -0500
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: oil protection for objectives on inverted scope
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 
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> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
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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
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Elke Küster-Schöck
> CIAN (Cell Imaging and Analysis Network)
> Proteomics & Genomics Coordinator, Microscopy Associate
> McGill University, Montreal QC, Canada