microscope ergonomy
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- iconoclastica
- Posts: 552
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
- Location: Wageningen, Gelderland
microscope ergonomy
I am rethinking the layout of my study, to make place for one or two more mics that sofar have rested on the shelves. Yesterday I wondered if they would come high enough for me to sit behind them without getting the sores of my back. Indeed, when trying one on my desk, it fell about 10cm short for comfortale observationing, even with my stool at its lowest. The table I was planning to have them stand upon is even 8cm lower (which partially will be compensated by the 50mm extra that the epi-illuminator will add).
Now I can easily think of piling books or concrete tiles underneath the microscopes, or building an upperstorey to my desk. But I expect that many of you are familiar with this issue, have though about it, and found solutions that worked or didn't work out as expected. Especially with regard to the stability of it all. What advise could you give me?
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Now I can easily think of piling books or concrete tiles underneath the microscopes, or building an upperstorey to my desk. But I expect that many of you are familiar with this issue, have though about it, and found solutions that worked or didn't work out as expected. Especially with regard to the stability of it all. What advise could you give me?
read more...
--- felix filicis ---
Re: microscope ergonomy
I have 5 scopes (2 stereos, 3 big compounds) set up on 3 optical benches and a sturdy wooden table. The table top is 6" lower than the optical benches and no combination of different scopes on different surfaces would get all the eyepieces at the same height. Even given the significant height adjustment of the stereos (one on a boom stand).
In the end, I got a tall-ish barstool with backrest and a medium height round stool - both with pneumatic height adjustment on the columns (just lift a lever to change it). The barstool is used with the two tallest scopes on optical benches (which sit directly opposite each other and are used for the longest sessions). The round stool is for the other three scopes, moved into position as needed. These three scopes are all at slightly different heights, but well within the height adjustment range of the round stool. I can only use one at a time, so it's no big deal to move the stool to the scope I need to use and adjust height accordingly.
Benefit is no other clutter on the table or benches, and the scopes stand "as designed" with room for all the other stuff needed around them (manipulators, Micromate focus motor, external lamps, etc).
Cheers
Beats
In the end, I got a tall-ish barstool with backrest and a medium height round stool - both with pneumatic height adjustment on the columns (just lift a lever to change it). The barstool is used with the two tallest scopes on optical benches (which sit directly opposite each other and are used for the longest sessions). The round stool is for the other three scopes, moved into position as needed. These three scopes are all at slightly different heights, but well within the height adjustment range of the round stool. I can only use one at a time, so it's no big deal to move the stool to the scope I need to use and adjust height accordingly.
Benefit is no other clutter on the table or benches, and the scopes stand "as designed" with room for all the other stuff needed around them (manipulators, Micromate focus motor, external lamps, etc).
Cheers
Beats
Re: microscope ergonomy
In addition to using chairs or stools with lifts as a starting point, there are other options:
- Tilting ergonomic heads are available for most compound and stereo microscopes
- There are stereo microscope stands with an intermediate stage plate between the head and base. The head can be adjusted to any height and then the stage plate to the required working distance.
- There are stereo microscope fixed ergo adjusters and heads where the eyepieces can swing high or low
- I've made risers for compound scopes by tracing the base, laminating plywood to get the required height, and painting it to match. If stability is a concern, give the bottom ply a large footprint
- There are also sorts of height adjustable and two-level work tables
- I use a standing position for stereo microscope that is used frequently, but only for minutes at a time
- Using a camera and screen to view, compose, and focus images is another option
- For visitors, I just keep a stack of various seat cushions available
- Tilting ergonomic heads are available for most compound and stereo microscopes
- There are stereo microscope stands with an intermediate stage plate between the head and base. The head can be adjusted to any height and then the stage plate to the required working distance.
- There are stereo microscope fixed ergo adjusters and heads where the eyepieces can swing high or low
- I've made risers for compound scopes by tracing the base, laminating plywood to get the required height, and painting it to match. If stability is a concern, give the bottom ply a large footprint
- There are also sorts of height adjustable and two-level work tables
- I use a standing position for stereo microscope that is used frequently, but only for minutes at a time
- Using a camera and screen to view, compose, and focus images is another option
- For visitors, I just keep a stack of various seat cushions available
Re: microscope ergonomy
Just for a little perspective, lots of us that worked in clinical laboratories have trashed necks, and even backs, from spending too much time looking through microscopes. The older scopes didn't have any way of tilting or rotating the heads, or even widefield eyepieces, so your neck and back had to make up for the mismatch between where your eyes wanted to be and your microscope dictated they actually be. Hour after hour, day in and day out, looking at blood smears, urines, gram stains, pap smears and the like will really take their toll. Raising the base with books or whatever transfers the height mismatch from your eyes to your hands and arms while trying to constantly adjust focus. Changing chair heights doesn't always work well either. If you want to scare yourself look at the price of a newer nice ergonomic head, if you can even find one for your scope.
The moral of the story is to be nice to your neck and back. Be careful with desk height, chair height, and eyepiece tube angles. Don't work long hours. Take breaks, use cameras and monitors where you can.
Fortunately the vast majority of amateurs will never approach the intensity and duration of microscopy in clinical lab work.
The moral of the story is to be nice to your neck and back. Be careful with desk height, chair height, and eyepiece tube angles. Don't work long hours. Take breaks, use cameras and monitors where you can.
Fortunately the vast majority of amateurs will never approach the intensity and duration of microscopy in clinical lab work.
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Re: microscope ergonomy
Tilting bases are really nice if your scope can accomodate them--unfortunately only gemscopes seem to be conducive to it in a modern environment, though once practixally all microscope bases tilted. I got an ergonomic head for my main scope which is realy nice and helps a lot.
- iconoclastica
- Posts: 552
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
- Location: Wageningen, Gelderland
Re: microscope ergonomy
When my denstist next door renovated his workshop, I saved his stool from the container. I wanted one to replace the ordinary office chair to get a seat without back rest, but indeed the up and down function proved phenomenal i.c.m the microscope and its various configurations. Maybe I should just get a higher table so the stool in its lowest would match the scopes in their shortest configuration.
Or a double decker desktop. I don't know if you (Beatsy) meant that with 'optical benches', but its what I got in mind when I read it. As a bonus all the light, motor and camera controls may be well placed and still be in hand's reach on the lower storey. Hmm, quite a deviation from what I was building right now, i.e. a modular system of equal sized units that will pile up in a neat stack.
My stereo microscope is on a boomstand too and that boom swings it nicely into postion / out of the way. I came with a Willd photo adapter that I never use, but it changes the height of the eye pieces to near perfection for me. So that will stay where it is.
The Mixophot I now have floating in the air. It sits on the end of a spring loaded folding arm, that originally was intended for the old style heavy computer monitors and tv sets. It swings out of the way too, turns along the vertical axis and can be pulled nearer if desired. Only the support for my arms is minimal.
I never have seen ergo heads for the Nikon phots. I'll look out for them (yet another head!). Tilting bases are not familiar to me. What are they, is it something like this?
Or a double decker desktop. I don't know if you (Beatsy) meant that with 'optical benches', but its what I got in mind when I read it. As a bonus all the light, motor and camera controls may be well placed and still be in hand's reach on the lower storey. Hmm, quite a deviation from what I was building right now, i.e. a modular system of equal sized units that will pile up in a neat stack.
My stereo microscope is on a boomstand too and that boom swings it nicely into postion / out of the way. I came with a Willd photo adapter that I never use, but it changes the height of the eye pieces to near perfection for me. So that will stay where it is.
The Mixophot I now have floating in the air. It sits on the end of a spring loaded folding arm, that originally was intended for the old style heavy computer monitors and tv sets. It swings out of the way too, turns along the vertical axis and can be pulled nearer if desired. Only the support for my arms is minimal.
I never have seen ergo heads for the Nikon phots. I'll look out for them (yet another head!). Tilting bases are not familiar to me. What are they, is it something like this?
--- felix filicis ---
Re: microscope ergonomy
No "double decker" arrangement, all the optical benches and table(s) stand on the floor. The one table is just a workspace, the other holds the smaller stereo on a boom stand along with a couple of hotplates and a warming plate. It's mainly used when making slide mounts and for prepping macro specimens. The stool goes in its lowest position there. Next to that, one of the optical benches holds a big Zeiss inverted and a Nikon optiphot side by side (plus power supplies and control boxes). The stool is used at nearly it's highest position there and the eyepieces of the scopes are at the same level.iconoclastica wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2025 3:09 am...
Or a double decker desktop. I don't know if you (Beatsy) meant that with 'optical benches', but its what I got in mind when I read it. As a bonus all the light, motor and camera controls may be well placed and still be in hand's reach on the lower storey. Hmm, quite a deviation from what I was building right now, i.e. a modular system of equal sized units that will pile up in a neat stack.
...
The barstool with backrest sits between the other two optical benches and is set a fixed height. One holds my main stereo with two micromanipulators, an x/y stage (on the bench surface under the scope) and lamps. It's used most for diatom picking and arranging, with a bit of space at one end for temporary rail and lighting setups (extreme macro related). The last bench holds an Olympus BX61 with micromate attachment (99% diatom photography) with my extreme macro rail and lighting system permanently set up beside it at one end (full access around 3 sides of that).
Note: both stools have footrest bars, so no stretching to reach the floor on high settings. Ergonomic positioning of eyepieces is important, but so is a good height for resting forearms when operating scope controls or manipulators, or dissecting and preparing specimens under a stereo. I spend hours at a time using the big stereo when selecting or arranging diatoms and it's all very comfortable now. No more stiff neck or shoulders that my older setups used to cause.
The (shorter) conclusion I've drawn is it's better to let the kit sit as it needs for the most comfortable operation and make my (sitting) height easily adjustable to that.
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Re: microscope ergonomy
Maybe some similar to it can work.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExshFgG
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExshFgG
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Re: microscope ergonomy
Basically a hinge between the base and the stage, think modern gemological scopeiconoclastica wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2025 3:09 amTilting bases are not familiar to me. What are they, is it something like this?

Or ancient monocular

- iconoclastica
- Posts: 552
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
- Location: Wageningen, Gelderland
Re: microscope ergonomy
Thanks, but I think that's too sofisticated for the simple job it is to do (and too small). A plank of solid oak wood and a hinge is all you need.soldevilla wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:47 amMaybe some similar to it can work.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExshFgG
BTW, I saw height adjustable desks today. One of them might solve several of the issues.
--- felix filicis ---
- enricosavazzi
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Re: microscope ergonomy
These office desks are great for the use they are designed for, and the Ikea ones are a good compromise between quality and price. There are better ones available from other brands, but I guess you don't want to have to sell one microscope or two to buy a desk for your (remaining) microscopes. There is (or was) another Ikea model better built, stronger and more expensive, but I don't see it in the NL catalog. High stiffness and minimal sagging are indispensable for a microscope table, especially one (like virtually all electric-lift tables) with only two legs instead of four.iconoclastica wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2025 12:21 pm[...]
BTW, I saw height adjustable desks today. One of them might solve several of the issues.
Just make sure that the desk you will buy is specified to lift a weight at least 50%-100% higher than the total weight of the microscopes that will sit on the desk.
My microscopes currently sit either on a 65 x 180 cm countertop (in practice a row of three Ikea kitchen cabinets of the right height for operating the scopes while standing, extremely steady because sitting on the floor, attached to a wall, and all their drawers full of photo equipment) or on a custom fixed-height table I built with 45 x 45 mm modular aluminum profile mounted on four large (12 cm) wheels. This table is much heavier and stiffer than an office table, and in the end probably just as expensive.
I have been tempted for a while to buy one of the top-end Ikea electric-lift desks, albeit for using it only as an office/computer desk. (Update: The one I wanted has been discontinued, the others are noticeably less stiff.)
An electronics workbench might also be something to consider. They usually have a shelf attached at the back (meant for oscilloscopes, meters, power supplies etc), which can be handy for storing things that don't always need to sit on the tabletop. Their height is typically not adjustable, but you can make up for it with an adjustable work chair.
--ES