Introduction to PUMA Microscopy (the advanced 3D printed DIY microscope) 

Thanks. Please tell others about the project - a lot more to come!

@@PUMAMicroscope Amazing man I will. I don't have any real need for a microscope, but If i get myself going with a 3d printer I'll almost certainly make one of these....it's just amazing to see something of such quality at such a good price, and there are lots of kids where I live who would be fascinated I'm sure. If all of that happens, I'll be sure to let you know haha!!

Thank you - I am hoping it will grow and develop as more people get to hear about it.

Thanks.

Thanks for the support. Soon I will be releasing the first full 'How to' video which shows exactly how to build the microscope stage from scratch - the single most complex component of all PUMA microscopes. Lot's more to come - stay tuned!

I'm guessing that the majority of cost usually lies in the countless of hours spent designing it, not building it.

Thanks.

Thank you very much!

Thanks for your support. Please spread the news about PUMA on your social media feeds. A new video on the Abbe condenser module will be released in the coming days so watch out for that. If you have any problems building or using a PUMA scope just post a comment and I will try to help - there are lots of practical tips, tricks and troubleshoot fixes that are just waiting to be shared.

Thank you. A new video will be uploaded soon - stay tuned!

Thanks. Please let others know about the channel on your social media, etc. More videos are on the way - the next one will include an introduction to 3D printing for beginners.

Thanks. More videos are on the way. Stay tuned!

Thanks.

Thanks.

If, by 'better', you mean 'higher resolution' then the 100x objective scenario is better. This is because resolution is captured by the objective. The eyepiece just makes whatever the objective captures look bigger (and further away).

@@PUMAMicroscope Yes, I mean "higher resolution". Your answer are like your video: you pack a lot of info in a small package! Thank you for the great explanation.

@@PUMAMicroscopeSame question, but how about the field of view or other important parameter that might be modified between theses two configuration?

Field of view will depend on the eyepiece field number (that is the field number of the x10 vs. the field number of the x20 eyepiece). @@alexandrevaliquette3883

@@PUMAMicroscope So... Why don't we have one expensive 100x or 40x objective and many cheaper eyepiece with various magnification (0.1x 0.5x 1x 10x)? There must be a good reason we switch between objectives (and have a regular 10x eyepiece) instead of switching between eye piece (and having only one objective)?

Thanks. Those things are already part of the PUMA modular design. See these videos for details: Epi-Illumination (Dominus part 4): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cAEB10K8PqI.html XY Vernier Slide Holder: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XtqqCiPloAQ.html Stabiliser: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-d8tMtWFhNY4.html I also plan to make a new stage for the PUMA for more high end robotic control microscopy (for advanced university-type research) - but that is still in the pipeline. It will likely be more expensive to build than the current standard stage but is intended for people who need to go beyond manual visual observations. Other modules (e.g. for interferometry) are also under consideration - PUMA is still a developing project.

@@PUMAMicroscopeWow, if you do, I would have to get one for our lab! Do you have a page where I can donate to support this project?

Hello, sure. Each video description has donation links but here they are for convenience: 1. Become a Patron: www.patreon.com/PUMAMicroscope 2. Donate via PayPal: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=NPMYJKJATDLQ4 Every donation helps - esp. when it comes to developing new hardware modules because there is a lot of 'try-fails' in the development cycle before I find the path that works well enough to become part of the PUMA canon. Thanks for any support you can provide, no matter how small.

Thanks.

Thanks for your support.

Thanks. Stay tuned to the channel because in a later phase of the project I will be making applications videos. For now I am still teaching people how to build it (incl. some new modules) and Abbe's diffraction theory of microscope image formation.

Thanks for your support. The epi-illumination is straight down (co-axial) via the 45 degree semi-silvered mirror in the advanced filter block. I got some great views of an integrated circuit with amazing resolution and clarity recently. I will try to find somewhere to share these pictures and make some more videos to show everyone how to use the various epi-illumination modes.

@@PUMAMicroscope I saw the photo of a resistor in one of the videos however I was not sure whether it was coaxial, so thank you for the clarification!

That picture was from a small CMOS camera module PCB - big PCBs won't fit on the stage. Interestingly I had to use epi-polarisation to get that clarity with the SMD components (to remove haze/glare) but the silicon chip IC dies I used give good images with plain epi-illumination (although epi-polarisation shows more as you rotate the polariser. I really need to make a video to illustrate that - it's on my list of videos to make).

Thanks. This video will show you how to build it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yW9H66BlUjU.html

Thanks for your support.

Hello. Essentially you are just unbalancing the frequency spectrum of the image. It is most commonly used in macro photography to image differences in air density (or other fluid). The Wikipedia article gives some background here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlieren_photography but I will try to explain more in some future videos.

@@PUMAMicroscope I will take a look, I have heard of schlieren photography but I don't know about the specifics. I suppose I am just wondering how it works in the PUMA scope. But I would love a video, I've learned a lot about microscopes through your work. Thanks!

I intend to make a video explaining more about Schlieren but that will be some time down the line, after I do my video series on photology (starting a couple of weeks from now) and some other stuff. Stay tuned.

Sure - see the video on 'epi-illumination' here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cAEB10K8PqI.html

Nice. Democratisation of lab equipment should improve standards, promote accessibility and make prices fairer. 3D printing and open source are game changers.

​@@PUMAMicroscope After watching this... again, :P I have suggestions from lessons learned building 3D printers. To fix the vibration, you need to add MASS and Stiffness. Mass is easy: add weight OR (if you already took care of stiffness) you can screw it down on the desk or a 6x6 cement tile (which makes a nice base btw). But before all this you need to address all flexibility in the frame, make sure your parts are designed to resist flexing, add braces were required. Remember you can make internal modifications like adding round holes through a part, it adds a cylinder of stiff plastic through it. In addition to this, adding a case that attaches to all components would also fix stiffness. Maybe multiple 3D printed panels that would screw on to everything like an exoskeleton.

Thanks, I really appreciate any efforts to help with the vibrations issue, which I consider to be due to the flexibility of the 3D printed plastic - especially joints - rather than a sheer lack of weight or flexibility of any individual component. However, if I can use a Trekism - 'I'm a doctor, not a mechanical engineer!'. All my mechanics (and 3D printing for that matter) are self taught so I am hoping someone cleverer than me can find a solution to this. The monocular tube you see is not a simple tube - if you look at the CAD file you can see it has internal baffles which strengthen it as well as block internal optical reflections. Also the QR mechanism already has internal hollow vertical tubes - as you suggested - but those can't strengthen the joint to the focus plate. My hunch is that a practical solution will be found with an external fixing frame (I did some orthopaedics so you can see how my mind works). It may be that such a frame must be made of metal (using off-the shelf fixings for practical adoption) with minimal 3D printed components. You can screw/bolt the feet to a wooden base or similar with the current design - but that won't fix the issue with the flexibility of the plastic connection to the focus plate. Also I am not sure how much the sprung focus mechanism contributes - but I have tried many variations on this during development and the solution you see is by far the strongest and most stable I was able to come up with. I am hoping that as more people build the scope they will tinker with various ideas and someone will come up with something that both works and is also practical for anyone to build (i.e. that doesn't require a fully equipped metal workshop with a 5-axis CNC lathe).

Thanks

You just taught me a new sense of the word - thanks :)

Good question. Here is my answer. 1. Second hand professional microscopes (SHPM) are more difficult to customise (other than minor adjustments) and most of them are much less portable (esp. when you consider the range of imaging modalities available on them. See, for example, my video on epi-illumination ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cAEB10K8PqI.html ). 2. SHPM are also variable (you can make 20 PUMAs all the same for a research project or class - not so easy or cheap to do that with SHPM). 3. Of course you can use SHPM *as well*. PUMA and SHPM are not mutually exclusive. 4. Getting the same range of imaging modality features from a SHPM may be much more expensive (like fluoresence or epi-illumination) or simply not available (like augmented reality attachments and combinations of modalities that PUMA can do) and if they are available it is not so quick and easy (or even possible in some cases) to switch between them as with the modules of a PUMA. 5. Also PUMA is about microscopy education - learning how various aspects of advanced microscopy work by building a scope from scratch is good practical education. My videos also emphasise theory as well as practice. These points are a recurring theme in the other videos in this series.

@@PUMAMicroscope you can never reach the mechanic qualiy of an Zeiss axiscope etc . I bought one from al university lab for a few bugs

@@PUMAMicroscope Viele Mikroskopiker meinen, dass die Technik des Mikroskopes und dessen Optik das Wichtigste am Mikroskopieren ist. Das ist ein grosser Irrtum, denn mit einen einfachen gebrauchten Labormikroskop der 70iger Jahre lassen sich zumindest im Hobbybereich durchaus brauchbare Ergebnisse erzielen. Heute versuchen sich die sog Mikrofreaks in der Perfektion ihrer Abbildung zu uebertreffen und veranstalten dafuer sogar Wettbewerbe. Das Wichtigste am Mikroskopieren ist jedoch die Arbeit draussen in der Natur und die Paeparationstechnik. Dafuer sind auch fundierte Kenntnisse in Biologie und Chemie sowie eine umfangreiche Literaturrecheche notwendig. Was nuetzt das beste Mikroskope, wenn das Praeparat schlecht ist. Dafuer ist jedoch eine ruhige Hand, Gedud und auch altes ein Stereomikroskop notwendig. Nur unter dem Stereomikroskop lassen sich vernuenftige Praeparate erstellen. Man soll sich seine Mikroskope aus alten Mikroskoper der Fa Zeiss oder Leitz zusammenstellen aber damit nicht zuviel Zeit verschwenden. Wer interessante Aufnahmen machen will, sollte sich den Dienst eines Elektronenmikroskopes leisten. Aber gerade fuer die Elektronenmikroskopie ist die Paraeparationtechnik und das vorbereiten des Objektes wichtig. So kann man fue etwa 50 Euro wirklich interssante Aufnamen erhalten die die Lichtmikroskopie in idealer Weise ergaenzen.

@@PUMAMicroscope ok. you are a seller of mikroskops therefore your mikroscope is the best but it is not th cheapest solution uses ergaval or axioscopes ar better

@@PUMAMicroscope y answers is 1. do you think that zou are better than all zeiss developpers 2. i simple need 3 microscops one is normal one is stereo and one is a REM oprtunity 3. so i dont need a PUMA 4. there is need for epi-fluorescenz. which only gives unsharp images epi is made by a simpe LED which can make oblique epi illmination is better 5. as well you lean adpating many SHMPsy

Still dope but yea i was shopping for a scope to today and was floored by whats avaliable for under 400. Any suggestions on bramds and where to buy?