Surgical Loupes help to alleviate eye strain by enlarging the image when you are working on tiny subjects or conducting precision operations. They are portable and easier to use than a surgical microscope. However, they are not created equal, and choosing the pair that's right for you is important to your satisfaction.

A variety of microscope objectives are available. All objectives use lenses to focus light. Light is broken down into various wavelengths (colors) as it travels through a lens. The various wavelengths have different focal points. That means that red, green and blue appears to focus at different points. This is called chromatic aberration. Spherical aberrations are focal mismatches caused by the shape of the lens. Quality lenses are designed correct for chromatic and spherical aberration to bring the primary colors to a common focal point. These terms may help you determine the best objective for your application:

When precise temperature measurements are required, WPI can provide you with a very accurate monitor and thermocouple microprobes. WPI monitors have both resolution and accuracy of 0.1°C in the 0-50°C range and are traceable to NIST standards, whereas, other competitive electronic thermometers have an accuracy that is usually to 0.5°C or worse. Furthermore, all our type T clinical probes are guaranteed accurate to 0.1°C, due to our stringent wire standards. These are five times more accurate than competitive probes made with regular “Special Limits” wire.

Microscopes are a standard laboratory tool, but purchasing the right microscope for a particular application can be a challenge. First, consider how you will use the instrument. Are you looking at slides, dissecting a small animal or performing a surgery? (The application dictates the necessary working distance and power of magnification.) What kind of a stand will you be using? (Boom stand, articulating arm or post stand) Will the microscope be used in a classroom setting? (A trinocular scope offers the option of including a camera.) Will you need a camera? (A camera allows you to project the microscope image on a PC or TV or to take still images.) The answers to these questions help you determine the required working distance, level of magnification, type of mounting stand and hardware required.

The 14011 barbed tubing assortment kit contains over 250 items. All the items are pictured on a grid below. The darker lines in the image grid represent centimeters, and the smaller ones are 2.5mm apart.

A 4-way stopcock allows for 360 degrees of rotation and has the states (shown below) for each of the four available positions. A 3-way stopcock has only three positions and has the first three states shown below.

In the first state, liquid flows between points A and B.
In the second, it flows between points A and C.
In the third, it flows between points B and C.
In the fourth state (4-way only), it flows between all three points.

Choosing the right parts for your application is critical. Below you will find a table comparing many common parts to help you determine just what you need.

Luer kits contain many plastic parts made of a variety of materials. A common question is how to sterilize these parts. Common sterilizing methods include:

WPI offers a variety of precious metals and wire. The table below compares the specifications of the various wires. The following hints are offered to help you understand the part number codes and choose the wire you need:

WPI’s microelectrode holder-half-cells couple fluid-filled glass micropipettes to high input impedance amplifiers. A Ag/AgCl pellet (or a silver wire) molded into the holder body provides stable potential. Electrical connection is made via male 2mm pins or female 2mm sockets. The pipette may be mounted axially or at right angles to the holder. Pipettes are held with screw-caps or rubber gaskets (without caps). Filling WPI microelectrode holders with electrolytes containing chloride results in stable electrode potential. Suitable electrolytes include KCl, NaCl andCaCl₂. Holders are supplied for standard WPI single capillary tubing of 1.0, 1.2, 1.5 and 2.0mm outside diameters. (Call WPI regarding custom designs for other glass diameters.) The holder style you select will depend on your experimental application, space, and instrumentation.

These instructions describe how to properly focus a binocular microscope.

WPI offers both vibration free workstations and platforms, and each is custom-built to meet your specifications. This article describes the options available and how to request a price quote for the unit you need.

The vibration-free platform looks like the one shown (left). The workstation tables are similar. These vibration-free units offer vertical and horizontal vibration isolation, high performace active-air suspension and automatic leveling. The diagrams below show dimensions of the workstations.