Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
(OP)
I need to determine the particle count captured on a filter paper but I'm new to the game. So I need help from the more experienced! I'm looking to pick up an microscope for counting those particles manually.
Any brand y'all recommend? Any features to pay attention to?
Some background info: We are setting up a net filters in a line to capture particles. The expected particles would be ~80 micron (0.003 in) so I figured a microscope with a magnification of 60x and eyepieces with reticles would do the trick.
My company has a limited budget so I'm ruling out the $8k metallurgical microscopes.
Thanks.
Any brand y'all recommend? Any features to pay attention to?
Some background info: We are setting up a net filters in a line to capture particles. The expected particles would be ~80 micron (0.003 in) so I figured a microscope with a magnification of 60x and eyepieces with reticles would do the trick.
My company has a limited budget so I'm ruling out the $8k metallurgical microscopes.
Thanks.





RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
Also you will want an easy way to attach a digital camera. This will make the counting easier and provide some documentation. It could also increase the magnification. This can often be done by removing the eye piece and inserting an inexpensive adapter.
A more through technique is to resuspend the particles out of the filter into a liquid. This sample can then be analyzed with a particle counting & sizing instrument. Some of them use the electrical sensing zone technique or camera based systems. This can get a much larger percentage of the particles from the filter. If you can not afford one of those there are particle analysis labs that will run the samples for you.
RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
If your particles are small enough to force the FOV to be less than the area searched, you'll need a mechanized and measurable motion stage, and you'll need to have some means of keeping track of whether you've counted a particle or not. A delineated background of squares or whatever would be needed.
TTFN
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RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
Have you thought about outsourcing this work to a materials or semiconductor lab?
RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
http://ddsdx.uthscsa.edu/Imagetool.asp will do object counting, but it's pushing 9 yrs since it was developed, and it is likely to crash on newer machines.
Nonetheless, there may be other packages with similar features.
TTFN
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RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
We have the capability of attaching a camera to the microscope but the magnification # goes out the window and we can't tell what it is unless we use a precisely delineated background. I will check out the ImageTool soft.
floattuber - We currently send fluid samples to labs for evaluation. We now have a project that requires monitoring of the particle size for each production unit, making it impractical to outsource.
Ron - Thanks, I'm going to look into the Meiji line.
RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
I also find the 30x with standard and polarized lighting amazingly useful upon occasion.
Tom
Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.
www.carbideprocessors.com
Good engineering starts with a Grainger Catalog.
RE: Suggestions for Particle Counting Microscope?
What is the precision required?
If your requirements will allow, you might want to look at an inspection microscope. We used this approach for particle counts in turbine oils.
http://w
This link is to a company we bought a lot of reticules from.
http://www.reticles.com/countingreticles.htm