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So far as I am aware Leica and Zeiss both use the same oils from the same supplier.
Guy
-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of George McNamara
Sent: Tuesday, 30 April 2013 2:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: I suggest warm oil ... Re: Advice on lens cleaning
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When I used leica oil (circa 2000-2005) before moving to Miami and
exclusively using Zeiss oil (1.518 "F"), I used to dissolve the
(transparent) crystals in the bottom of the leica oil bottle by
microwaving. Probably a bad idea to cook your objective lens on high!
You (Gabriel) might try warm (37 C, if that does not work, then 47 C,
etc) oil, over some time period (24 hours) with the lens suspended and
pointing down into the oil (and just the tip in the oil), to see if that
dissolves the crystal. This assumes that the crystal is from the oil,
rather than some component of a previous experiment.
A Leica rep introduced me to an interesting solvent for cleaning organic
stuff from objective lenses: methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Dissolves lots
of organic stuff (i.e. oil). Does tend to also remove the
anti-reflection coating, which may be a worthwhile tradeoff.
Best wishes,
George
On 4/29/2013 1:43 PM, John Oreopoulos wrote:
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> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Gabriel,
>
> I should stress that my toluene soaking suggestion has never been tried here in house and was only suggested as a last ditch effort to save a lens in a dire situation like the one you described. The other suggestions made already seem much "milder" and should probably be tried before the method I mentioned. Try at your own discretion!... And do let us know how it all goes afterwards.
>
> Cheers,
>
> John Oreopoulos
>
>
> On 2013-04-27, at 7:21 AM, phil laissue wrote:
>
>
>> *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> *****
>>
>> The tiniest bit of (warm) distilled water in a small beaker, just
>> enough to touch the front lens, may do the trick. And Zeiss also had a
>> crystallising immersion oil several years ago, without green crystals
>> though.
>> _____________________________________
>> Philippe Laissue, PhD, Bioimaging Manager
>> School of Biological Sciences, Room 4.17
>> University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
>> (0044) 01206 872246 / (0044) 07842 676 456
>> [log in to unmask]
>> privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~plaissue
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 27, 2013 at 11:23 AM, Matthew Nicholas
>> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> *****
>>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>>> *****
>>>
>>> I've never dealt with this problem before, so this may be off the mark, but
>>> what about using more of the oil itself to dissolve the crystals?
>>>
>>> Good luck!
>>> Matt
>>>
>>> On 4/26/13 10:47 PM, Tina Carvalho wrote:
>>>
>>>> *****
>>>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>>>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>>>> *****
>>>>
>>>> True, that. I had green crystals form in Leica oil as well! I can't
>>>> remember for sure, but I think we heated it to dissolve them, or at least
>>>> mobilize the oil enough that could be gently wiped off before trying any
>>>> cleaner.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck and aloha,
>>>> Tina
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I should add that the oil with the crystals was from Leica.
>>>>> Joel
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 8:30 PM, JOEL B. SHEFFIELD<[log in to unmask]>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Wow! Toluene? We have had the experience of immersion oil crystalizing
>>>>>> in the vial. Heating it slightly made the crystals dissolve. Perhaps a
>>>>>> warm bath would be helpful in this case, or just warming the lens to 38
>>>>>> or
>>>>>> so..
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Joel
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 6:57 PM, John Oreopoulos<
>>>>>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *****
>>>>>>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>>>>>>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>>>>>>> *****
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hey Gabriel,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I consulted with one of the optics experts over here and he recommends
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> the following:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Fill a beaker with toluene and create a rig above the beaker that will
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> allow you to hold the tip of the objective with the oily crystals
>>>>>>> submerged
>>>>>>> in the toluene. Leave it there for a week, take it out and then
>>>>>>> re-examine
>>>>>>> the lens. Hopefully you can use standard cleaning procedures after that
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> any residual muck. Best of luck!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> John Oreopoulos
>>>>>>>> Staff Scientist
>>>>>>>> Spectral Applied Research
>>>>>>>> Richmond Hill, Ontario
>>>>>>>> Canada
>>>>>>>> www.spectral.ca
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 2013-04-26, at 2:03 PM, Gabriel Lapointe<
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> *****
>>>>>>>>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>>>>>>>>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>>>>>>>>> *****
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I have a problem with a dirty objective installed on a straight Leica
>>>>>>>>> microscope. The lens is covered in what looks like oil mixed with
>>>>>>>>> solid
>>>>>>>>> dark green particles and the metal edge with green oily crystal. That
>>>>>>>>> system hasn't been used for a while so I'm inclined to think that
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> immersion
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> oil was left on the objective for more than a year.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Have you ever seen anything like that and do you have any suggestion
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> as to
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> how I should start the cleaning? I'm afraid to use my standard
>>>>>>>>> cleaning
>>>>>>>>> protocol as the particles inside the oil could scratch the lens.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks for your help.
>>>>>>>>> *Gabriel Lapointe, M.Sc.*
>>>>>>>>> Lab Manager / Microscopy Specialist
>>>>>>>>> Concordia University, Biology Department
>>>>>>>>> 7141 Sherbrooke St. West SP 534
>>>>>>>>> Montréal QC H4B 1R6 Canada
>>>>>>>>> Lab : (514) 848-2424 x5988
>>>>>>>>> Office : (514) 848-2424 x3008
>>>>>>>>> Fax : (514) 848-2881
>>>>>>>>> Cell : (514) 278-0247
>>>>>>>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>> cmac.concordia.ca
>>>>>>>>> http://gabriellapointe.ca
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Joel B. Sheffield, Ph.D
>>>>>> Department of Biology
>>>>>> Temple University
>>>>>> Philadelphia, PA 19122
>>>>>> Voice: 215 204 8839
>>>>>> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>>>>> URL: http://astro.temple.edu/~jbs
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Joel B. Sheffield, Ph.D
>>>>> Department of Biology
>>>>> Temple University
>>>>> Philadelphia, PA 19122
>>>>> Voice: 215 204 8839
>>>>> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>>>> URL: http://astro.temple.edu/~jbs
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ****************************************************************************
>>>> * Tina (Weatherby) Carvalho * [log in to unmask]
>>>> *
>>>> * Biological Electron Microscope Facility * (808) 956-6251
>>>> *
>>>> * University of Hawaii at Manoa *
>>>> http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/bemf*
>>>>
>>>> ****************************************************************************
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Matthew Nicholas
>>> Medical Scientist Training Program Student
>>> Laboratory of Arne Gennerich
>>> Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology
>>> Albert Einstein College of Medicine
>>> Forchheimer Building, Room 628
>>> 1300 Morris Park Avenue
>>> Bronx, New York 10461
>>> 718.430.3446
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>
>
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