Why use an ultraviolet (UV) digital microscope: open up an unseen world

Digital microscopes allow users to view the live image on a computer screen instead of looking through an eyepiece, reducing eye strain and allowing for easier measurements of oddly shaped objects.  Adding ultraviolet light capabilities opens a hidden world of vision by looking at your object at different light wavelengths. Zarbeco can include white, ultraviolet (UV) and two wavelengths of near infrared (IR) LEDs in one unit to easily switch between the light sources. Since samples respond differently to ultraviolet light wavelengths than to white light, you can see different object features.

Different fields that benefit from using ultraviolet light include forensic science, biological sciences, art conservation/restoration, automotive, quality inspection, and mineralogy to name a few. A handheld digital microscope with ultraviolet light can image fluorescent features for detection analysis.

There are many different hidden features that are revealed when looking at your sample with UV light.  Certain glues are made with UV tracers so you can see if those glues are present as they will have a fluorescent glow when looking at the sample with UV light.  Certain coatings have UV tracers in them so they will glow to show the coatings are present.  Some inks, paints and fiber materials can be identified by viewing them with UV light.  In a dye penetrance procedure, a fluorescent dye is painted on industrial surfaces and then wiped off so that you can see cracks under UV light.  In forensic science document examination, fluorescent fibers in papers will be visible in currency in order to identify genuine ones from forgeries.  Biological samples can also have fluorescent properties which can be seen with UV light such as the internal organism in some insects. Paper dust has fluorescent whiteners; it will show up more prominently with ultraviolet light so you can see if an area has been cleaned.

It is very easy to switch between white and UV light on a Zarbeco digital microscope by just using a switch on the back of the MiScope® digital microscope. Our polyspectral MiScope models let you control the amount of white, ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR)  light through a computer, so you can distinguish between different inks in the same sample.

If you have any questions about ultraviolet microscopy you can reach Zarbeco, LLC at (973) 933-2043 or at sales@zarbeco.com.