Inverted microscope fiber optic lighting adapter

Description

A year ago I started modifying and rebuilding a inverted microscope , I’ve added a lot to it such as polarized and dark field functionality to it but lately I’ve been wanting to examine non transparent objects like seeds. The big goal is to build a macro 3d scanner but first I needed better lighting method. Todo this I needed lighting coming from the side of the objectives. I wanted to avoid designing or having a circuit designed , mostly because I suck at it and it’s expensive to have one designed (I’m cheap). So I thought I could go some what old school and give fiber optic a shot.

WHY IT FAILED : This lighting method wasn't able to light up the sample. It missed the sample by a few degrees which was always a risk I knew was possible and I have corrected in the second version.

Goals :
- Avoid designing a circuit board
- Make it look as professional as possible
- Hopefully provide enough light to the sample to get the quality of photos I want

Details

Tools : Ender 3 pro, Tinkercad (I’m weak lol)

Material: PLA, Fiber optic cable , Superglue

Microscope : Accu-scope 3030 inverted

Currently only designed one to fit the 10x zoom objective.

Project Logs

Collapse

It's a failure
Zachary Marlow • 07/29/2022 at 14:29 • 0 comments

But Version 2 is looking really promising lol 😂
All built
Zachary Marlow • 07/25/2022 at 13:05 • 0 comments

All 3d printed and together, first impressions are that it's a success, but won't actually know the success until rebuilding the stage of the microscope and inserting a sample and seeing how the results come out but the amount of light shows that its more likely going to work out.
Now I know I should focus on the success of the project but the layering on the 3d printed coupler is cool, I didn't really watch it print, I only watched the first layer go down and then walked away so its forever to be a mystery lol.
Light source to Fiber Optic Coupler
Zachary Marlow • 07/24/2022 at 18:12 • 0 comments

Finally got around to designing the coupler to connect the fiber optics to connect to the light source. Pretty simple design just a 10mm hole and 15 mmm hole meeting in the middle of a tube. Planning on printing it on the ender 3.

The fiber optics ended up being about 9.5 mm wide so it should fit fine and ill put a drop of superglue to keep it in place. To create the bundle of fibers I simply dipped an inch of it into superglue. I allowed it to harden and sliced about 10 mm off making it nice and flush.
Fiber optics time
Zachary Marlow • 07/23/2022 at 03:05 • 0 comments

The fiber optics was harder to install than I thought it would be but I got it on the first try which is always nice.
I cut it at 5 inch increments and I needed 8 per hole with a total of 8 holes. Bringing to a total of 64 pieces.
Install : Insert all 8 pieces and leave about a half inch sticking out, drop off super glue near hole and cut flush then sand smooth.
So much super glue , sanding is the only reason it looks nice.
I'm currently trying to figure out the diameter of the fiber optic bundle so I can start designing the adapter to the light source.