Skip to main content

Clipboard Field Table for Smartphone Microscope - Part 2


The idea is to have a table that makes doing field microscopy a bit easier. I still have to work on a few pieces to make setup faster. For one, disassembling the body of the microscope currently requires the undoing of every screw and bolt. I'm considering cutting a channel in the base of the wood so that the body can be mere loosened and then taken off. The same cannot be done for the phone holder (arm). It would make the construction too weak. Additionally, I have to consider what components to use instead of binder clips (or use different binder clips). The clips were not supporting the slide or microscope as flatly, but I'm sure the table wasn't flat either so that is an added factor. It functioned, but the aesthetics are bad. Lastly, I am learning that each step forward is satisfying, and not the least reason due to the next set of questions that present themselves. Of course, I still have refinements with the table and Smartphone Microscope to consider (and maybe major revisions), but the key question before me, given that the table and scope are functional, is establishing a field slide prep method.

The hope is to have dry and wet mount methods that are rapid so that field images can include microscopic images along with the classic eye-visible images. These might be uploaded to a site like iNaturalist to give added detail to a species' descriptive material.

The Smartphone Microscope is shown, less the phone which had to be used to take pics, and an image of prepped slide of a sliced onion (stained). I'm not sure of the magnification but I guess about 100x, maybe more. I zoomed the phone to about 2.5 on a scope which indicates 60x at its lowest power (to which it was set). Thinking of a field slide prep method will be no small feat for wet mounts of thinly sliced material, especially when conisdering fixing, staining and dehydration. In fact, I may have to abandon the pursuit altogether. Or drastically modify. I may, for example, have to leave out the finalizing of a permanent slide, instead opting for a slide that I can get a picture of, and having that be my permanent field specimen, and the slide prep would have to wait for home.
I haven't mentioned this yet, but my rationale for this is that I must get done what I can in the time I have alotted for a certain expeditionary task. There is no guarantee that I will be able to do permanent slide preps at a later date and time, so I have to consider that I may not. Though, if I can plan my time out, perhaps I can. There seem to be competing projects all of the time, and that's not even considering the "honey-do" projects or the family time. So, yeah, field slide preps. Go!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Learning to be a TN Amateur Naturalist

#1 Google hit for "TN amateur naturalist" http://tnnaturalist.org/ Memphis Chapter, has good contacts from the biggest Naturalist institutions in Memphis. http://tnnaturalist.org/4-Memphis.html Promo of program from TN State Parks https://tnstateparks.com/get-involved/tennessee-naturalist-program The books I got from Memphis Library (Ben Hooks), the 500 section (574) on the 3rd floor. It will be good to reach out to some of the Memphis Chapter folks and see what I get back. Have to think through what "reaching out" means.

Plastic Origami Field Use Microtome

Plastic origami (plastic folder source) worked well to make specimen holder. 2 widths possible by either folding down on bottom to furthest stop or by placing bottom together in slit cut. Slide holder is filled with water and specimen is hand advanced with the slightest of nudges over the length of the specimen holder. Cuts are made on the other side of the glass slide, which holds the specimen holder in place and also acts to create a smooth cutting surface for better quality cut (using standard razor blade). The glass slide has a semi-ovular cut from the bottom using a steel wheel glass cutter (see video). This cut allows the specimen to advance beyond the glass so that the specimen can be cut. Cross sectional cuts of stem are picked up with needle nose forceps and placed on a slide. Extra water was absorbed with Kim wipes separating slides. Clear tape is used as cover slip to secure specimen to slide and then specimen are examined using Carson handheld microscope. ...