Microscopes, Lighting and Optical Inspection

When choosing a microscope, you should consider the types of samples and objects you intend to view, what you need to observe, and what you’re going to do with those samples. There are various types of microscopes, and each has its own specialty.

Stereo microscopes are optical microscopes that put a whole new spin on the visual image of an object.

What Is A Stereo Microscope?

A stereo microscope, also known as a dissecting microscope or a stereo zoom microscope, is an optical microscope that provides a three-dimensional view of a specimen. The separate lenses and eyepieces provide a separate optical path for each eye. The different angles of vision coming from the left and right eye create a three-dimensional visual. The three-dimensional perspective allows for a thorough examination of the object.

Types Of Stereo Microscopes

There are two different styles of stereo microscopes. These include binocular stereo microscopes and trinocular stereo microscopes. Binocular telescopes have two lens and two eyepieces. Binocular microscopes are used by educators, researchers, and commercial environments.

Trinocular microscopes have an extra port for attaching a camera for taking videos and photographs. Educators and researchers use the trinocular.

How Does A Stereo Microscope Work?

The stereo microscope uses light that naturally reflects off of the image. It is designed for observation at low magnification. Since it magnifies at low power, it’s instrumental in examining opaque, solid, or thick samples. The typical magnification of a stereo microscope ranges anywhere from 10x to 50x. Additional lenses can be used with the microscope to decrease or increase magnification. The attachable lens ranges from anywhere to less than 1x to 300x or higher.

When Is A Stereo Microscope Used?

As mentioned before, a stereo microscope is best used when needing a three-dimensional visual of an opaque, solid, or thick sample. The stereo microscope works particularly well when working on the specimen while being observed. Objects can be dissected, or microsurgery can be performed.

What Does Stereo Mean In Microscope?

In a sound system, stereo refers to the left and right speakers. Two separate channels are used to produce a spatial effect to the sound. With a stereo microscope, stereo refers to the two separate optical paths, one for each eye. The different views from the two different angles produce a three-dimensional visual with depth and solidity.

Can A Stereo Microscope See Cells?

With its low magnification settings, a stereo microscope is used to examine hard, opaque, and three-dimensional objects. Examples of these objects include insects, flowers, mineral specimens, coins, electrical components, circuit boards, and fossils.

With its high magnification and high optical resolution, a compound microscope is used to see things that can’t be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria or cells. You can not see individual cells with a stereo microscope because of the low magnification.

What Are The Advantages Of A Stereo Microscope?

There are several advantages to using a stereo microscope. One advantage that tops the list is that you can work on a specimen in real-time. The larger working and focusing distance are ideal for dissection or microsurgery. The large fields of view enable the viewer to examine relatively large objects. The three-dimensional aspect allows for a thorough examination of an object.

Another critical advantage comes from its use of natural light. A stereo microscope provides a more defined and illuminated view of the examined object.

A stereo microscope also is a versatile microscope. It can be configured for any use since it has various attachments such as stands, mounts, and arms.

Where Can I Purchase Stereo Microscopes?

Scienscope’s Stereo Zoom Microscopes excel in quality, technology, ergonomics, optics, and performance. They are designed with a single spindle zoom, fixed prisms, modularized gears, and an isolated nylon gear system.

Lab Pro offers a large variety of chemicals and laboratory supplies. For over 40 years, Lab Pro Inc. has been committed to delivering the highest quality microscopes, chemicals, tweezers, hard-wire cutters, lab supplies, and cleanroom PPE apparel to medical device and electronic manufacturing companies and laboratories worldwide. To learn more, visit the biggest Lab Supply showroom in California, or contact us online at 888-452-2776.