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  3. EXC-500 Gout Kit

Accu-Scope EXC-500 Gout Kit Operating instructions

  • Hello, I'm your chat assistant, and I've reviewed the user manual for the ACCU-SCOPE EXC-500 Gout Kit. This document provides instructions for installing the polarizer and analyzer components and using the full wave retarder filter to differentiate between true and pseudogout crystals based on their interference colors. I'm ready to answer your questions about installing and using your kit.
  • What is the purpose of the polarizer in the Gout Kit?
    How do I install the analyzer?
    How can the Gout Kit distinguish between true gout and pseudo-gout?
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EXC-500 Microscope Series
Gout Kit Installation
Gout Kit Components
Fig. 1
Installation
Adjust the the EXC-500 for Kohler illumination with the objective
of your choice.
Polarizer (Fig. 1)
Install the polarizer onto the light port so its thumb screw faces
toward the 3 O’clock position. This will set the orientation to
East-West.
Thumb Screw
(for Analyzer)
Polarizer
Analyzer
73 Mall Drive, Commack, NY 11725 ● PH (631) 864-1000 ● F (631) 543-8900 ● info@accu-scope.com ● www.accu-scope.com
Fig. 2
Installation (continued)
Analyzer Dust Plug (Fig. 2)
Remove the dust plug from the slot above the nosepiece.
Analyzer (Fig. 3 & 4)
Slide the analyzer into the slot above the nosepiece as shown.
It will automatically be in the North-South orientation. (Fig. 3)
Use the thumb screw provided to secure the analyzer. (Fig. 4)
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Using the Gout Kit
A full wave retarder filter is
incorporated into the Gout Kit
polarizer (Fig. 1). The retarder can
be rotated 90°. This enables
distinction between true gout and
pseudo-gout crystals.
Monosodium urate crystals are
elongated prisms that have a
negative birefringence.
The crystals will exhibit a yellow
interference color when the crystals
long axis is orientated parallel to the
slow axis of the full wave retarder
45° degrees to the crossed
polarizers).
If the crystals are “true-gout”,
rotating the Polarizer (P1) will
change the interference color to
blue.
If the crystals are “Pseudo-gout”
(pyrophosphate) the crystals will be
blue when parallel to the slow axis of
the full wave plate, changing to blue
when P1 is rotated 90 degrees (from
East-West to North-South).
Monosodium urate crystals grow in
elongated prisms that have a
negative optical sign of birefringence
which generates a yellow
(subtraction) interference color when
the long axis of the crystal is
oriented parallel to the slow axis of
the first order retardation plate.
Rotating the crystals through 90°
changes the interference color to
blue (addition color). In contrast,
pseudo-gout pyrophosphate
cyrstals, which have similar
elongated growth characteristics,
exhibit a blue interference color
when oriented parallel to the slow
axis of the retardation plate and a
yellow color when perpendicular.
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