How to Use a Histology Microscope

Carry the histology microscope with one hand around the arm of the microscope and the other hand under the base of the microscope. It should be carried close to your body, and not with your arms outstretched.

The histology microscope should be placed about six inches (a comfortable distance) from the table edge with the eyepieces towards your body. The microscope arm should be towards you.

Remove the dust cover and plug in the cord. Make sure that any excess cord is not dangling over the edge of the table, where you could get entangled into it. Extra cord should be on the table.

Clean all of the optical surfaces. Use only lens paper and distilled water for this purpose. Place a drop of distilled water on the lens paper and rub the lens surface gently. Use a dry portion of the paper to polish the lens dry. Clean the objectives and eyepieces.

Lower the stage. Place a clean histology slide on the stage. The histology slide should be centered with specimen side up. Secure the histology slide in place using the mechanical stage clips.

The microscope should be started with the lowest power objective in place. The lowest power objective is the shortest objective. Always begin viewing a slide with the lowest power objective.

Look at the stage from the side with your naked eye (not through the ocular) and raise the stage (or lower the objective) to the closest point without crunching the histology slide against the objective lens. The objective lens should not touch the slide. Look through the oculars and bring the histology slide into focus with the coarse focus adjustment. Always start focusing with the lowest power objective. After bringing the image into focus with the coarse adjustment, then use the fine adjustment. The objective lens should not touch the slide.

Adjust the iris while looking through the microscope at the histology slide. The cone of light will increase as you open the iris. When the light looks like it is not increasing any more, stop. Close the iris just a small amount from this juncture.

Adjust the eyepieces for your interpupillary distance. While looking at the histology slide, move the eyepieces together and apart until the histology image appears as one image. Note the number on the scale between the eyepieces. This is you interpupillary distance. You should set it at number this every time you use the histology microscope.

Adjust the eyepieces if your vision is not the same in each eye. The eyepieces can also be adjusted to accommodate differences in each eye. Set one eyepiece rotating adjustment at zero. Turn the other eyepiece focus until the specimen is in focus for both eyes.

Lower and adjust the condenser. The condenser is adjusted by moving up and down.

Rotate the revolving nosepiece in order to change the magnification. When switching to a higher power magnification, only the fine focus knob should be used to focus. Sharpen the image by adjusting the light condenser, the iris diaphragm, and the light switch. At higher power the condenser will need to be adjusted.

When done viewing histology slides, there is also a proper procedure for finishing up. Lower the stage completely. Remove any slides from the stage. Put the lowest power objective in place. Turn off the light. Clean all lenses using only the lens paper provides. All oil, water, chemicals, and dirt must be removed. Wind the cord back up. Put the dust cover back on it. Carry the microscope with one hand around the arm of the microscope and your other hand under the base of the microscope. It should be carried close to your body, and not with arms outstretched.

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