What Is a Stereoscopic Microscope?
A stereoscopic microscope or stereo microscope has two eyepieces, so you get to use both of your eyes at a time. This helps to make the object you are looking at more three-dimensional. The stereoscopic microscope is used in many fields, including health, medical research, biology, government services, education, archeology and police work, among other areas.
Identification
Originally, the only microscope available was the compound microscope. It had only one eyepiece which focused on one objective (or platform that held slides or whatever you were looking at). This caused a distorted view of the image, because most people have two eyes and binocular vision. When you look at the world through one eye at a time, you have monocular vision, which reduces your depth perception. Therefore, anything you looked at under a compound microscope looked two-dimensional. The sterooscopic microscope eliminates this distortion.
Effects
Not only were objects looked at seen without distortion, but eyestrain was greatly reduced for those who had to squint into eyepiece for hours at a time. Not only could microscopic creatures or cells be seen, but then minute evidence for crimes, flaws in counterfeit money and other uses made the portable and comfortable stereoscopic microscope the mainstream optical microscope in the world.
Size
The stereoscopic microscope is only about 1 or 2 feet high, but it weighs more than it looks, sometimes tipping the scales at 50 lbs. The microscope needs to be so heavy in order to keep the specimen as still as possible. Most stereoscopic microscopes also come with their own built-in light source, which can further add to the weight. The stereoscopic microscope ranges in price from less than $50 to over $1000, depending on make, complexity and power of magnification.
Features
The stereoscopic microscope contains basic components. These include the two eyepieces, which often can be removable to make for better magnification. These are made of glass or plastic. The body tube holds the eyepieces firm over the stage, which holds the specimen. In between the stage and the eyepieces are often a series of magnification cylinders, which can be moved when needed. Alternately, the body tube can be raised or lowered over the stage for magnification. Underneath the stage is where light comes out to help see the specimen better. Although some stereoscopic microscopes have self-contained lights, many have to be plugged in to an electrical outlet.
Theories/Speculation
The stereoscopic microscope is now being developed to integrate with a three-dimensional computer program. A camera is connected to the microscope's images and then stored in a computer for future use. This can cut down on the need for masses of slides and can have many people see the same thing at the same time, rather than jostle to look through the one microscope.
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