A phase contrast microscope is a type of light microscope that enhances the contrast of transparent or translucent specimens, such as living cells, by exploiting differences in the refractive index of different parts of the specimen.

They are widely used in biological and medical research to observe living cells and tissues in real-time, as well as in material science to examine the internal structure of materials.

How does a phase contrast microscope work?

A phase contrast microscope works by producing contrast between structures that are transparent or have a low contrast in a traditional brightfield microscope. It accomplishes this by converting variations in the refractive index of a sample into differences in brightness.

To understand how this works, it’s important to know that light waves slow down or bend when they pass through a medium with a different refractive index. In a traditional brightfield microscope, the different refractive indexes of different structures in a sample do not produce any noticeable changes in brightness, making it difficult to distinguish one structure from another.

In a phase contrast microscope, however, the light source is split into two paths: one path passes directly through the specimen, while the other path is diverted by a phase plate. The phase plate is a transparent ring with a thickness that is precisely calibrated to produce a phase shift in the light that passes through it.

As the two beams of light are recombined by the objective lens of the microscope, they interfere with each other, creating a halo-like effect around the edges of structures that have a different refractive index than their surroundings. This halo is known as the phase shift, and it produces a visible contrast between the specimen and the background.

By adjusting the focus and alignment of the phase plate and objective lens, a phase contrast microscope can produce high-contrast images of structures that would otherwise be invisible in a traditional brightfield microscope. This makes it a valuable tool for studying living cells and tissues, which are often transparent or have low contrast.

What types of phase contrast kit can BestScope supply?

1. BPHA Turret Phase Contrast Kit (For Laboratory Biological Microscope)

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Objective Specifications

The usage example of BPHA Phase Contrast Kit

2. BPHB Turret Phase Contrast Kit (For Academic Biological Microscope)

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Objective Specifications

The usage example of BPHB Phase Contrast Kit

3. BPHC Sliding Phase Contrast Kit (For Academic Biological Microscope)

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4. BPHD Simple Phase Contrast Kit (For Academic Biological Microscope)

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5. BPHE Turret Phase Contrast Kit (For Laboratory and Academic Biological Microscope)

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Objective Specifications

Phase Contrast Kit 

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