Field Microscopes

Field Microscope Applications

Field microscopes generally are portable microscopes. These devices are the compact and lightweight versions of traditional microscopes, which can be brought along a researcher’s field of study. Field microscopes are different from those pocket microscopes in the market, as they don’t miss out on the important and functional features or conventional microscopes. Field microscopes usually carry with them all the rich features of a stereomicroscope along with their solid design.

The main purpose of field microscopes is to allow researchers to do their work offsite. Regular desktop microscopes are heavy and are very delicate. Field microscope then becomes the ideal equipment of field researchers and even students who needs to take their studies from the confines of their laboratories and out into the open.

On Crime Scene Investigation

The police department commonly uses field microscopes for their crime scene investigations. The police department’s teams of forensic scientists are the primary people who require the use of field microscopes. With this device, they can easily check for fingerprints, blood samples, and other important evidence found within the scene of the crime. A field microscope saves their time of transporting the pieces of data they obtained from the location into the laboratories. With field microscopes, the preliminary checking of specimens can now be done onsite. And so only the samples that need preparation and further analysis will be carried over the main laboratories for deeper research.

On Medicine and Health Science

Physicians and health care professionals are just some of the people who use microscopes in their jobs on a regular basis. A physician who is tasked to research a new epidemic, which circulates within an area, would definitely need a field microscope to assist him in this feat. A field microscope would allow him to take a quick look at the type of samples that are relevant to their research. The most common thing that they use this device for is to look for the signs of diseased cells on a patient.

Oftentimes, the work of a physician is time restricted, as the health of their patients is their primary concern. A few seconds of delay when diagnosing or treating a particular disease could mean the life and death of their patient. A physician’s time is always crucial. So instead of taking the sample to a laboratory so it can be studied using a microscope, it is more convenient to bring the microscope to the patient instead. This is where field microscopes are most beneficial.

On Natural and Geological Science

Geologists spend much of their time out in the field and on location. Geologists study the structure and composition of rocks, clays, and soils. With a field microscope working for them, their jobs become a lot easier. Also a geologist regularly moves from one site to another. And if he chooses to use regular a bench top microscope for his job, then that particular microscope he uses will not last long. A field microscope, on the other hand, is built for the outdoors and terrains. It can withstand wear, tear, and moving around more than conventional stereomicroscopes. In geology and similar fields of study, field microscopes become the very obvious choices.

On Biological Applications

Biology is the study of life forms. And every biologist would agree that a microscope is the primary tool they use for work. Without the discovery of this device, it would have been hard, and maybe impossible, to learn about the basic structure of life, which would be the cells. Cells and other microorganisms cannot be seen by the naked eye. High-grade microscopes are needed to study them and understand how they function.

Of the many branches of biology, marine biology may just be the field where the use of field microscopes is mandatory. Marine biologists study organisms present in streams, lakes, and rivers. To transport the specimens of a marine biologist from the work site into the laboratory may not always be feasible, as the organisms could die even before they are studied. For these cases, it is better to bring the microscope over instead. And here is where field microscopes come handy.

Field microscopes come in different types. There are even compound stereo field microscopes available in the market today. This only means that the features and functions of a traditional tabletop complex microscope are transformed in to a more durable and portable package. With a field microscope, new discoveries and the fast formulation of new technologies become possible.