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Putting a sample on the stage

1. Slide the magnets off the stage. DO NOT pluck them off as the strength of the magnet could damage the stage by pulling on it too hard.
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2. Put a drop or two of immersion oil on the objective lens.
3. Place your sample on the stage so that the area you want to image is on top of the objective lens (e.g., coverslip mounted on a slide, or well of a chambered cover glass).
4. Drop the magnets into place on either side of the specimen so that it is held down onto the stage. There are several disc magnets, so the sample can be held down at several positions if necessary.
5. Note: There needs to be space for the magnets on either side of the specimen, so vessels like 35 mm dishes can’t be used with the magnets.
6. Once the specimen is in position, close the lid of the chamber and pull out the interlock slider, otherwise the imaging lasers won’t work.

Focusing on the specimen

The Nanoimager has no eyepieces so focusing must be done using a camera image. This can be done using sample fluorescence, but I’ve found that it is a lot easier to use the focus laser, which reflects at the glass/water interface of the specimen and forms an image of a spot on the focus camera. The Focus Camera view is on the left of the NimOS GUI. You will just see camera noise unless the focus laser is switched on.

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