Scientific microscopes or research microscopes are designed for applications in science research. Being powerful, high-quality devices, scientific microscopes are often used in colleges, universities and research labs and are more often meant for professional’s use. Multi-viewing Microscope allows multiple people observation at the same time with the features of infinite optical system, effective illumination, LED pointer and images. Microscopes are a mainstay in life science research but advances in imaging have allowed their use to expand into most areas of science and technology.
Phase-contrast microscopy (PCM) is an optical microscopy technique that converts phase shifts in light passing through a transparent specimen to brightness changes in the image. Phase shifts themselves are invisible, but become visible when shown as brightness variations. It reveals many cellular structures that are invisible with a bright-field microscope. These structures were made visible to earlier microscopists by staining, but this required additional preparation and death of the cells. The phase-contrast microscope made it possible for biologists to study living cells and how they proliferate through cell division. It is one of the few methods available to quantify cellular structure and components that does not use fluorescence. After its invention in the early 1930s, phase-contrast microscopy proved to be such an advancement in microscopy that its inventor Frits Zernike was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1953.
Polarized light microscopy can mean any of a number of optical microscopy techniques involving polarized light. Simple techniques include illumination of the sample with polarized light. Directly transmitted light can, optionally, be blocked with a polariser orientated at 90 degrees to the illumination. More complex microscopy techniques which take advantage of polarized light include differential interference, contrast microscopy and interference reflection microscopy. Scientists will often use a device called a polarizing plate to convert natural light into polarized light. These illumination techniques are most commonly used on birefringent samples where the polarized light interacts strongly with the sample and so generating contrast with the background. Polarized light microscopy is used extensively in optical mineralogy.
A stereo microscope is a type of optical microscope that allows the user to see a three-dimensional view of a specimen. Otherwise known as a dissecting microscope or stereo zoom microscope, the stereo microscope differs from the compound light microscope by having separate objective lenses and eyepieces. A stereo microscope is used for low-magnification applications, allowing high-quality, 3D observation of subjects that are normally visible to the naked eye.