> Does anyone know if optical filters (bandpass, shortpass, longpass, etc) in > the flow cytometer fluorescence path degrade with time or with use (assuming > filters not mishandled) ? Filters in the fluorescence path are not exposed to high incident power, and are usually well protected. There will always be some accumulation of dirt on the optics, of course, depending on environmental factors (Smoking, powdered gloves, dust, ...). But the filters should last for a long time, unless you work in a very dirty environment or play around with corrosive chemicals. > Would the filters be more likely to degrade in an > epifluorescence microscope with an HBO100 light source? Certainly, at least the excitation filter and the beam splitter. Depending on your setup (possible presence of pre-filters) these may be exposed to a fair amount of heat and UV light. The filters are also far more exposed to dust and inaccurate handling. Errors in fabrication may cause optical components to delaminate, i.e. the thin layers of metal or dielectric coatings that give them their properties may peel off. It doesn't happen very often, but it happens. Emmanuel Gustin
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Jan 05 2003 - 19:01:44 EST