Nanoscribe: Using the RPL Microscope

Use the microscope eyepiece to directly view the print.

View the print on the monitor attached to the microscope.

View the print on the computer monitor to easily save images of the part.

Follow these steps if you will be using either of the two monitors to view your print.

Press the camera's "On/Off" button, located behind the microscope monitor.

To view images on the monitor attached to the microscope, press the button on the side if the monitor is not already on.

To view images on the computer, open the CaptaVision software located on the Desktop.

The microscope screen and the computer can not be used simultaneously. Captavision will turn off the microscope monitor.

Turn the coarse adjustment knob (the bigger one) until the stage reaches its lowest point.

Rotate the objectives until the appropriate objective for your sample is pointing downwards.

Place your print into the 3D-printed slide holder.

There are multiple sample holders available, depending on the kind of substrate and desired viewing angle.

Use the switch on the side to turn on the light.

Transparent substrates need no additional steps

For opaque substrates, refer to step 7

Use the coarse adjustment knob to bring the stage and the slide closer within range of the objective.

Use the fine adjustment for more controlled movement to bring the slide into focus.

Note that you don't need to find the sample immediately, focusing on the substrate is a good start.

See the second picture for examples of the different views you might encounter.

The third image shows a good focus. Due to the narrow focusing range, the entire part may not be perfectly clear at once.

The view may be entirely blurry if the sample is too far OR too close. Be very careful to not run the substrate into the objective.

Use the stage controls to move the slide until the print is in view.

If you're having difficulty finding your print, start looking at an off-center location and methodically move your field of view across the slide (see the second image as an example).

For very small parts, it may be difficult to distinguish between debris and the print. Look for a crisply defined shape with regular features; alternatively, use a higher-powered objective.

Use the fine adjustment knob to view different layers of the sample in focus. An example of a print viewed in CaptaVision (focused on the bottom of the sample) is shown in the third picture.

For samples that are opaque or difficult to see through, use the adjustable lights

Use the buttons on the right to turn on the lights and configure them as needed.

This button powers both lights on and off at once.

This button toggles the active light

These buttons control brightness

The lights can be freely positioned to get the best lighting angle for the sample in question.

40x and 100x objectives do not work well with external lighting, due to the extremely small working distance of those objectives

Changing to a more powerful objective will allow you to better see your print.

Rotate the objectives clockwise, one at a time.

Adjust the stage position as necessary to refocus on the slide and find your print.

The slide holder impedes the path of the larger objectives; when switching to the 40x or 100x objectives, first move the stage down slightly.

Using the 100x objective is not recommended because it usually requires additional steps to obtain a high-quality image.

Adjust the focus of the microscope so you can clearly visualize the feature(s) of interest.

Select the "Capture" button in the CaptaVision sidebar.

Name your file, select the file type, and save it in a location you will be able to access later (e.g. a flash drive or network drive).