The England Finder Slide : Is this Genius or Madness ?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

https://www.graticulesoptics.com/products/stage-micrometers-calibration-scales-grids/coordinate-graticules/s7-england-finder

 

https://www.graticulesoptics.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/s7_england_finder_-_product_information_-_graticules_optics.pdf

 

 

Opinions and any “better ideas” would be welcomed !

MichaelG.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Well if all microscopes had XY stages with DROs and slides had a fiducial mark somewhere (like a cross in the centre) this would be redundant but without that it looks like a good idea to me.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Nicely summarised, John

MichaelG.

[VicParticipant @vic]

Given that a slide may be viewed by any number of different people on different equipment it seems like a very good idea to me.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

It seems a very good idea  to me, too [and the’ve been making them for decades]

The main problem being the price per unit, given that every viewer needs access to one.

.

I just showed it here in case any ingenious Engineer had a clever suggestion.

MichaelG.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Everthing to do with optics, microscopes, is expensive. However it is still cheaper than a DRO.

JA

[Les TParticipant @lest]

John Haine has the right idea. most decent microscopes will already have a  mechanical stage to carry the slide. The X and Y axes have scales and verniers to enable you to note the location of anobject. If no XY stage is fitted they can be purchased for less than £50.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

With the greatest respect, Ian … I think you may be missing the point [please excuse that inevitable pun]

The England ‘finder’ is a transfer standard, designed to obviate the need to calibrate individual microscope stages.

To the limits of manufacturing precision, every England Finder is identical, and …subject to appropriate cleanliness, etc. …  any prescribed location will be correctly identified by any subsequent observer using any stage, and any England Finder.

MichaelG.

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

PostScript

… of course, by the standards of modern D.R.O. these 1mm squares are very coarse … But, it was a very clever idea years ago

MichaelG.

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Ref. https://bitesizebio.com/43252/microscope-finder-slides-their-history-development-and-use/#

Ref. https://www.agarscientific.com/blog/post/finder-slides:-finding-and-re-locating-areas-of-interest-on-microscope-slides

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I also think it would be a great time saver for educational purposes if slides were marked with the co-ordinates of the most interesting parts.

[Author]

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