Microscop for Leptospira Laboratory
Author: Miladin Kostovic

NEW MICROSCOPIC DEVICE FOR DIRECT READING OF THE MICROSCOPIC AGGLUTINATION TEST (MAT) FOR LEPTOSPIROSIS

A. Schonberg

Bundesinstitut fur gesundheitlichen
Verbraucherschultz und Veterinarmedizin,
Berlin, Germany

It has been reported that the results of the MAT performed in microtitre plates (F form) may be read direclty with the aid of a special microscopy equipment using a magnification of 100x. In a number of laboratories this method has been in use for some time. Since, however, difficulties arose in respect of avialibility of appropriate optical equipment we reported about a modifiction of microscopy equipment from the companies Leitz Wetzlar, and Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, in 1980.

According to the information of Leitz and several Veterinary Investigation Centres, it became difficult to provide the long working-distance objective (Leitz, No. 559 141, magnification 10x).

Recently, the company Carl Zeiss demonstrated a new microscope with an objective of 10x magnification This was the first demonstration from Carl Zeiss in our laboratorty showing a complete equipment for direct reading of the results of MAT without using additional equipment from Leitz. The fact, that several Veterinary Investigation Centres have difficulties to establish the direct reading of the results of the MAT, it is of advantage to introduce this new microscope of the company Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH (Zeisgrupe):

Microscope "Axiolab" No. 450 905, halogenlight 6V, 25W, No. 417 030 9001; microscope stage No. 453 510 9901; specimen holder, No. 47 3448; dry-dark-field condeser, No. 465 506; objective "Epiplan" 10x/0.20, No. 442930; ocular E-Pl 10x/20, No. 4442319901; ocular E-PL 10x/20, No. 4442329902. The price is about 5000,-- DM!

The microscopic picture of leptospires was identical to that which was achieved by the combined equipment of Leitz and Carl Zeiss in 1980.