Optical microscopes and its working
An optical microscope is basically optical equipment that helps us to have a close look at a sample through the magnification of a lens with visible light. This is the traditional form of microscopy, which was first invented before the 18th century and is still used today. Also commonly known as a light microscope, an optical microscope uses a combination of multiple lenses to magnify images of small size with visible light. The lens is placed between the specimen and the viewer’s eye to magnify the image so that it can be examined in greater detail.
Types of Optical microscopes-
There are different types of optical microscopes available in the market. They are capable enough to create a very basic design to high complexity that provides high resolution and contrast.
- Compound microscope- It consists of a combination of lenses that magnifies the sample image to a higher resolution. It is often used for modern research.
- Simple microscope- A single lens, similar to a magnifying glass, for magnifying the image of a specimen.
- Stereo microscope- It provides a stereoscopic image, which is useful for dissection.
- Digital microscope- It consists of compound or simple lenses but uses a computer to visualize the image without the need for an eyepiece to view the sample.
- Comparison microscope- It helps to get the simultaneous view of two different samples, one in each eye.
- Inverted microscope- In this, a sample is viewed from below, which is useful for examining liquid cell cultures.
There are some other types of optical microscopes available in the market which includes polarizing, epifluorescence, petrographic, phase contrast, and confocal microscopes.
Images-
An optical microscope can produce a micrograph using standard light-sensitive cameras. Photographic film was traditionally used to capture images. The development in the technologies has now allowed taking the digital images from the CMOS and charge-couple device (CCD) cameras for optical microscopes. In terms of results, the image projection can be done onto a computer screen in real-time for a sample to be examined with these digital microscopes. This tends to increase the convenience of use it prevents the use of eyepieces. The spherical optics company available in the market manufactures flat optics that are used in multiple fields, to know more about it visit pfg precision optics. The magnifying power of a combined optics microscope depends on the ocular and objective lens.
