Precision Cover Glasses and Microscope Slides

Features

• Designed for High-Performance Microscopy Applications
• Cover Slips Made from Schott D 263^® M Glass
  • Precision, #1.5H (170 ± 5 µm) Thickness: Square, Rectangular, and Round Versions Available
  • #0 (85 - 115 µm) Thickness: Square and Rectangular Versions Available
• 26 mm x 76 mm (W x L) Slides Made from Soda-Lime Glass
  • 1 mm Thick Slides with Positively Charged or Untreated Surfaces
  • 1.35 mm Thick Slides with Cavity Wells for Samples
• 25.4 mm x 76.2 mm Fluorescent Slides Made from a Cast Acrylic Substrate
  • 1.7 mm Thick Fluorescent Slides
  • Available in Five Colors: Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red
  • Each Slide Sold Individually or in Packs of Five
  • FSK5 Slide Set Includes All Five Colored Slides

Thorlabs offers a selection of Precision Cover Glasses (Cover Slips), Microscope Slides, and Fluorescent Slides (see the table to the right) designed for high-performance imaging applications such as total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, live cell imaging, and biochemistry.

Precision Cover Glasses
Cover glasses are manufactured with Schott D 263^® M Glass, which is optically clear, colorless, and exhibits low auto-fluorescence. #1.5H cover slips are machined precisely to maintain a uniform thickness of 170 ± 5 µm, which minimizes image defects due to spherical aberration; we offer square, rectangular, and round versions. #0 cover slips are ground to a thickness of 85 - 115 µm, providing the thinnest cover slip thickness for weakly fluorescent or thick samples; square and rectangular versions are available.

Microscope Slides
The 26 mm x 76 mm glass slides are manufactured from corrosion-resistant, soda-lime glass. 1 mm thick slides feature a white marking region and are available with an untreated surface or positively charged surface for added adhesion. 1.35 mm thick slides feature the choice of one or two cavities and have untreated surfaces. Slides can be incorporated into slide holders that are compatible with 26 mm x 76 mm slides, like our microscopy slide and test target holders. Thorlabs' XY and XYZ high-speed motorized stages for microscopy can be fitted with inserts for holding slides in a variety of configurations.

Fluorescent Microscope Slides
The Fluorescent Microscope Slides are available in five colors: blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Fabricated from cast acrylic substrates, they fluoresce at wavelengths that are similar to many popular fluorophores when illuminated with LEDs or lasers commonly used in widefield, confocal, or multiphoton microscopy. Each slide provides a uniform fluorescent field across its surface area, useful for aligning fluorescence imaging systems. All slides are compatible with our sample holders that fit 26 mm x 76 mm, 1.7 ± 0.5 mm thick slides. Please note that our C4SH01 Four-Position Microscope Slide Holder is not compatible with these slides.

Microscope Slides and Cover Glasses

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Transmission measurements of four CG00C cover glasses from 350 nm to 800 nm. These data represent all #0 thickness cover glasses.

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Transmission measurements of four CG15CH cover glasses from 350 nm to 800 nm. These data represent all #1.5H thickness cover glasses.

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Transmission measurements of four MS10UW microscope slides from 350 nm to 800 nm. These data represent all microscope slides.

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Fluorescent Slides

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Raw Data
Comparison of transmission measurements of the FSK1 (blue), FSK2 (green), FSK3 (yellow), FSK4 (orange), and FSK6 (red) fluorescent slides from 300 nm to 700 nm. This data is typical; performance may vary from lot to lot.

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Raw Data
Measured fluorescence spectrum of the FSK1 blue fluorescent slide when illuminated with the M365FP1 365 nm Fiber-Coupled LED. This data is typical; performance may vary from lot to lot.

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Raw Data
Measured fluorescence spectrum of the FSK2 green fluorescent slide when illuminated with the M470F3 470 nm Fiber-Coupled LED. This data is typical; performance may vary from lot to lot.

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Raw Data
Measured fluorescence spectrum of the FSK3 yellow fluorescent slide when illuminated with the M365FP1 365 nm Fiber-Coupled LED. This data is typical; performance may vary from lot to lot.

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Raw Data
Measured fluorescence spectrum of the FSK4 orange fluorescent slide when illuminated with the M565F3 565 nm Fiber-Coupled LED. This data is typical; performance may vary from lot to lot.

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Raw Data
Measured fluorescence spectrum of the FSK6 red fluorescent slide when illuminated with the M565F3 565 nm Fiber-Coupled LED. This data is typical; performance may vary from lot to lot.

There are a several common techniques to prepare a sample for microscopy with a slide and cover glass. 

Dry Mount
In this method, the sample is placed directly on the slide. To protect the microscope objective, a cover glass should be placed over the sample. For large samples, the MS15C1 or MS15C2 slides with wells may be used for additional space.

Wet Mount Preparation

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Use a tweezer to lower the cover slip on top of the sample.

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Use a dropper bottle to place a drop of fluid on the slide.

Wet Mount
To prepare a wet mount, place the sample on the slide. Then, use a pipette or B2939 dropper bottle to add a drop of liquid (e.g., water, glycerin, growth media, etc.) on top of the specimen. Using a pair of tweezers, hold the cover glass on one end and carefully lower it over the sample droplet (see the images to the right). 

• Ensure that there are no air bubbles trapped underneath the cover slip.
• Too much liquid underneath the cover glass will cause it to slide. Use a small piece of paper towel or KW32 Kimwipes^®† near the edge of the cover slip to absorb excess fluid.
• If there is too little liquid underneath the cover glass, use a pipette or dropper bottle to add a small drop of fluid near the edge of the cover slip.

To protect the mounted sample from evaporation or contamination, the cover glass can be sealed or glued to the microscope slide. For live cells or other sensitive samples seal the edges with valap, which is an equal parts mixture of Vaseline, lanolin, and paraffin wax. When slowly melted together, the mixture can be applied to the edges of the cover glass with a small brush or cotton swab.

Smear Preparation
For this type of sample mounting, first place a drop of the sample to be smeared on the slide. Using the edge of a second slide, gently smear the sample to create a thin, uniform layer. Place a cover slip over the smear and use a paper towel or KW32 Kimwipes to absorb any excess fluid from the edge of the cover slip.

Please note: Do not use ethanol with the Fluorescent Calibration Microscope Slides because it may cause damage to the slides and bleed through.

^†Kimwipes^® is a registered trademark of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation.