We have selected a range of microscope slides from a German manufacturer. These slides are good value for the best quality available. Cheap slides may be adequate for some purposes, but we recommend quality slides for any permanent preparation. The cost of a slide when compared with the cost of the final preparation is very small.
Edge finishes: Just "Cut" glass, has no further edge treatment and is the cheapest. However, cut edge can cause injury. Also, a flaw on the edge can start a break. Other than for the extra large slides we don't stock plain cut glass.
Ground edges have a fine, near polished edge finish and we supply this either beveled or as a 90 degree edge.
Beveled edges eliminate the possibility of raised edges, which is important when preparing smear preparations, see illustration on the right.
Ground at 90 degrees is marginally cheaper. Also, in some preparation instruments, the 90 degree edge makes handling easier.
Note:
Soda glass is near clear, whereas older formulations had a green tinge when viewed side-on. New, low iron formulations have almost elminiated that and autofluorescence of slides is very low.
Clear white glass also has other names: water white, superwhite, pure white and super clear, but they all mean that the glass is clear and without any trace of colour. White glass is a very low-iron sodaglass, made by Schott and it is not auto-fluorescent. Refractive indices at 20 degrees C: ne 546nm = 1.5251; nd 588nm = 1.5230. Microscope slides are not made of borosilicate glass - high quality coverslips are.
Twin frosted slides have one end (~ a third) frosted on both sides so either side may be used for labeling the slide.
Standard dimensions are according to ISO 8037/1:1986, 26 ( 0/-0.1mm x 76( 0/-0.1)mm, but with only 0.05mm variation on any slide. However, width and length refer to cut dimension; ground slides may be 0.5mm less. Standard slides are 1.0mm thick. Thicker slides are are available as indicated. These slides are exceptionally flat and parallel. Surface is clean and perfectly wettable; glass imperfections are rare.
Both of our types of glass slides are made by floating liquid glass on a hot tin surface; hence the name float-glass. Float-glass is produced down to 0.7mm, coverglass is treated mechanically. Float glass is particularly even in thickness and the sides are parallel - images remain very close to focus when moved on the microscope stage.
Standard slides are 1 x 3" (25.4 x 76.2mm) as broken. Grinding the edges brings slide dimensions very close to 25 x 76mm
German made, soda glass
Most commonly used type of microscope slide. The glass is made to a new low iron, soda‐lime glass formulation. Glass slides viewed side on are no longer green and difficult to tell apart from clear‐white glass. Made by the float glass process these slides are very flat and only have tiny thickness variations on a slide. These slides offer improved light transmission, very low autofluorescence; which would only be an issue with lowest fluorescence specimens.
Standard dimensions are 76 x 26mm and 1.0mm thick, a batch is of uniform thickness (under 0.05mm variation / tolerance) and slides are quite flat and parallel. Slides are clean and ready to use. German manufacture. 50/box. Ground, 90 degree edges. Thick slides are like the above but ~1.3mm thick.
When available, full carton lots (5000 slides) are discounted by 25% ‐ ask
German made
German made
Short, 1.8mm thick slides are also on page G8.
Thick slides: We can no longer obtain thick white glass slides, however they are available in soda glass. The new soda glass is much improved in auofluorescense, has almost no colour when slides are viewed side-on and gained about 1% in light transmission.
German made
Slides as above but 76 x 51mm, uniform in thickness within a batch and very flat. Cut edges at 90 degrees.
For a suitable slide storage box see H451 on page H2
German made
As above but 100 x 76mm. The LCP base plate, see G366 below is an even larger microscope slide.
German made, clear white glass
German made
German made
StarFrost® super clean, microscope slides
Glass slides viewed side on are no longer green and difficult to tell apart from clear‐white glass. Made by the float glass process these slides are very flat and only have tiny thickness variations on a slide. These slides offer improved light transmission, very low autofluorescence; which would only be an issue with lowest fluorescence specimens.
A printed coloured (white=W; yellow=Y or blue=B suffix) slide end provides an excellent inscription surface and prevents scratching and sticking.
Standard dimensions 26 x 76 x 1mm.
Printer slides
The most effective slides for automated slide‐printing‐machines.
- Special ink treatment on the frosted area for the best printing‐quality
- Single side frosted area as well as additional printed patterns for reduction of sticking effect
- Best edge grinding for easy automatisation handling
- Clipped corners to reduce twist and possible chips
Discount on carton lots for G311 series slides: A 25% discount applies to 100 boxes = a carton of 5,000 slides.
German made
StarFrost® super clean, microscope slides are available with three surface treatments to achieve extra strong adhesion of sections. After a thorough washing the hydrophilic slides are treated with an electrical plasma beam that vapourises all oils and residues and leaves a positive charge on the slide surface, which can hold many specimens.
The glass is made to a new low iron, soda‐lime glass formulation. Glass slides viewed side on are no longer green and difficult to tell apart from clear‐white glass. Made by the float glass process these slides are very flat and only have tiny thickness variations on a slide. These slides offer improved light transmission, very low autofluorescence; which would only be an issue with lowest fluorescence specimens.
- These slides electrostatically attract frozen tissue sections and cytology preparations, binding them to the slide.
- They form a bridge so that covalent bonds develop between formalin fixed sections and the glass.
- Tissue sections and cytological preparations adhere better to the Plus glass slides without the need for special adhesives or protein coatings.
The alternative treatment is a coating with either silane or poly‐L‐lysine.
Polysine improves the adhesion of tissues to the slide (Starfrost polycat slides).
Silane enhances adhesion of histological and plastic embedded sections to microscope slides.
These coated slides were developed especially for use in immunohistochemistry (IHC) and harsher applications.
Highest quality, German‐made microscope slides. Made by Schott "white crown glass"; this glass has highest light transmission and no autofluorescence, Dimensions 26 x 76 x 1.0mm.
Features
- Stronger adherence characteristics than regular adhesive slides (G313 Advanced adhesive).
- Tissue does not fall off.
- Improved staining.
- Broad range of applications.
- The quality of the coating has been tested by several cancer research labs and with different brands of equipment, e.g. Ventana Discovery XT/Benchmark and Leica Bond‐Max.
- No autofluorescence
A printed coloured (white=W; yellow=Y or blue=B suffix) slide end provides an excellent inscription surface and prevents scratching and sticking.
Standard dimensions 26 x 76 x 1mm.
Printer slides
The most effective slides for automated slide‐printing‐machines.
- Special ink treatment on the frosted area for the best printing‐quality
- Single side frosted area as well as additional printed patterns for reduction of sticking effect
- Best edge grinding for easy automatisation handling
- Clipped corners to reduce twist and possible chips
Discount on carton lots for G312 & G313 series slides: A 25% discount applies to 100 boxes = a carton of 5,000 slides.
German made, clear white glass
Highest quality, German‐made microscope slides. Made by Schott "white crown glass"; this glass has highest light transmission and no
autofluorescence, Dimensions 26 x 76 x 1.0mm.
G300B has 45 degree corners that have a 90 degree edge.
Discount on G300 series slides: When available, a 25% discount applies to 100 boxes = a carton of 5,000 slides.
Dakin slides are frosted over one entire side - except for the superfrosted label-area. The slides are used in cytology, they are sand-blasted on one side for greater surface adhesion of specimen. Photo is on a blue background.
Made from Corning® 7740 borosilicate, low expansion, type I glass.
Micro glass slides are precision rectangular glass capillary tubes for use in microscopic viewing of liquid samples. Capillary action instantly collects the sample and the thin glass walls minimise evaporation. The design of these cells eliminates the needs for cover glass and the hanging drop method. These micro glass slides can withstand heat up to 500°C. Samples can be retained for future reference by sealing or cementing open ends. Micro glass slide are packaged in plastic vials.
I.D. tolerance ± 10%, Wall tolerance ± 20%
| Cat. No. | Dimensions ID(inner dia) mm Path x width | Wall Thickness | Length mm |
| G346‐030‐50 | 0.30 x 3.0 | 0.300 | 50 |
| G346‐070‐100 | 0.70 x 7.0 | 0.460 | 100 |
Many other sizes available. Please inquire.
Made from soda‐lime glass. Clean and ready to use.
The Chinese made are slightly thinner, but otherwise well made.
European made slide (G341)
Thickness 1.25mm, cavity diameter 15mm, depth 1mm.
USA made slide (G342)
Thickness 1.3 ‐ 1.4mm, cavity diameter 18mm, depth 0.7mm.
Chinese slides (G342‐50)
Thickness 1.2mm, cavity diameter 15mm, depth 0.6mm.
Chinese slides (G341‐72)
Thickness 1.2mm, cavity diameter 15mm, depth 0.6mm.
Teflon and hydrophobic printed slides offer shallow wells for testing, reactions and then convenient microscopic observation. They control cross-contamination in staining, immunolabelling and immunofluorescence tests. Teflon is tolerant of harsh chemicals and solvents, including acetone; it can tolerate heat in excess of 250 degrees C.
Slides using hydrophobic inks are particularly suitable for standard fluorescent antibody techniques. Hydrophobic inks come in matt finish and our 3 well slide in black is the hydrophobic type. Printed slides have a frosted area for marking.
Well surfaces are totally wettable to aid spreading of solutions and cell adhesion. So, these slides minimise the use of purified antigens and antibodies. The slides measure 76 x 26 x 1mm with ground edges; glass is German Superwhite with zero fluorescence. Thickness of the Teflon and therefore depths of the wells is about 0.02mm.
Note: cat numbers include number of wells (G3503 = 3 wells) and diameter of wells (G350308 = 8mm wells).
Colour code: W = white, B = blue, BK = black. Black printed slides are particularly hydrophobic. Special orders can also include R = red and G = green.
Special orders of 5 gross of printed slides for special layouts, colours and with your own business or hospital's name can be supplied at no additional charge - about 4 weeks delivery.
Round wells
White printed, diagnostic slides with round, ring, square and oval wells. The slides measure 75 x 25 x 1mm and have 1 frosted end.
PTFE printed slides are extremely hydrophobic, acetone proof, chemical resistant and autoclavable. They are perfect for controlling cross-contamination in staining, immunolabelling and immunofluorescence tests. All printed slides are precleaned. The well surface is 100% wettable, which enhances cell attachment and increases its spreading capabilities within the well. These slides minimise the use of expensive purified antigens and antibodies.
Ring wells
Square wells
Oval well
Useful for Fluorescent Antibody Examination. The size of the slide is 76 x 25mm, approximately 1 mm thick, with an etched frosted end. Pre-cleaned. Packed 72/box
These 25 x 76mm slides have an indexed grid on the reverse side of the frosted end. The ink is resistant to stains and common laboratory solvents. Each square grid fills one low-powered field (approximately 100x magnification), the well is 16mm square and has 8 x 8 white-lined squares within. These slides make it easy to locate an organism or cell every time. The slides are available with coatings of poly-L-lysine or silane, or they can be purchased plain (uncoated). G361 has a white grid on the reverse side and a frontal black mask for containing aqueous material.
Packaged 72 slides/box.
Grid microscope slides similar to above with hydrophobic coating.
Thickness 1mm, 1 per package.
Quartz microscope slides and slips (see page G2) are required for best UV transparency, and for very high temperature applications, up to 1200°C. All our polished quartz slides and cover glasses are manufactured from G.E. 124 Fused Quartz. They are polished to a 80/50 scratch/dig. This equates to a 5 micron or better finish.
Other material is available on request.
Machined quartz - Optical properties
The optical properties of fused quartz let us choose between various types, because the degree of transparency defines material purity and the method of manufacture.
Certain indicators are the UV cutoff and the presence or absence of bands at 245nm and 2.73µm. The UV cutoff varies from 155 to 175nm for a 10mm thick test sample. The presence of transition metallic impurities will move the UV cutoff towards longer wavelengths.
The curves in the figure represent the average transmissions for a 10mm thick test sample for both commercial and optical grades. Fused quartz is very efficient for the transmission of infrared radiation. Infrared transmission extends out approximately 4 micrometers, with little absorption in the "water band" at 2.73µm.
Optical transmittance
At the UV "C" wavelength of 253.7 nm, our fused quartz transmits over 90% through a 1 mm wall thickness.
Vitreous Silica, in all its forms, offers a variety of properties:
- Low Permeability
- Extreme Hardness
- Very Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
- Resistance to High Temperature
- High Chemical Purity
- High Corrosion Resistance
- Optical Transmission from Ultra-Violet to InfraRed
- Excellent Electrical Insulation Qualities
- Remarkable Stability under Atomic Bombardment
Features
- Made from optically clear vinyl with a refractive index of glass
- Ideal for wet mount, urines, etc
- Economical, they can be used and discarded
- Available standard size 75 x 25mm, 144/box.
- Will not break, scratch, or cut fingers
- Not auto-fluorescent
- Thickness 0.46 to 0.56mm
These slides are produced under rigorous quality control conditions for clean and uniform surfaces with low background readings. They have enhanced protein binding characteristics. They are RNase and DNase free. The slides are not resistant to the following chemicals: ethanol, methanol, phenol, organic acids (e.g.: acetic acid), gasoline, aromatic solvents (e.g.: benzene, toluene, xylene and turpentine), chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g.: methylene chloride and tetrachloromethane), ketones and others.
Two versions of plastic microscope slides are offered. One is made of general purpose "crystal" polystyrene and the other is made of UTV (UV Transmittable) acrylic. Their transparency and optical quality are identical to viewing through a flat-bottom microplate well. They are almost near standard size, 75 x 25 x 1.1mm.
The surfaces are tissue culture treated and gamma sterilised and can therefore be used with the following applications:
- Cell and tissue culture studies.
- Immunofluorescence and immunostaining for cytology, histology, parasitology, bacteriology and virology, etc.
- Immobilisation of DNA, nucleic acids, antibodies, proteins and other small molecules.
- Protein printing and microarrays.
- Hybridisation studies.
These versatile, low-cost microscope slides can be used wherever glass slides are used, including sample preparation in the field. They are safer than glass slides because they are more impact resistant than ordinary glass slides. Plastic slides do not leave any sharp edges when broken.
Fluorescence reference slides allow checking how evenly a fluorescence illuminator is filling the field of view and whether it is centred. Are the laser output and MT settings for your confocal microscope being monitored? Made of durable plastic, they provide a continuous fluorescent field. No hunting for microspheres, no cellular photo bleaching.
- Blue excitation (DAPI / Indo / Fura)
- Green excitation (FITC / GFP)
- Yellow excitation (Acridine Orange)
- Red excitation (Rhodamine / Texas Red)
To keep the slides clean, dust-free and easy to find, the set comes packaged in its own storage box.
You can see our range of fluorescence microscopes on page O11
Add on fluorescence system for stereo microscope.
NIGHTSEA™ Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter on page O15
High quality glass, coated with 50nm of gold with a 5nm chromium adhesion layer between the glass slide surface and the gold coating. Can be used for a wide range of nanotechnology, biotechnology and AFM applications. Also suitable as an opaque microscopy support. Both Cr and Au are evaporated on the glass slide using a vacuum evaporation system. The gold surface is not atomically flat, but has bumps in the nm range.
The gold slides are individually packed in a slide mailer.
The coverslips are sold in packs of 2 and are packed in an X0 Gel-Pak package.
Both are autoclavable.
Specifications
Glass slide: 75 x 25mm , 1mm thickness, soda lime glass
Glass coverslips size: ⌀16mm with thickness #1 or 22x22mm with thickness #2; Glass Specifications
Chromium adhesion layer thickness: 5nm
Gold layer thickness: 50nm (± 5nm)