ASTM E211-82(2022)

Standard Specification for Cover Glasses and Glass Slides for Use in Microscopy

ABSTRACT
This specification describes the required properties and corresponding test methods for glass covers and slides for use in routine microscopy. The covers and slides comply to specified requirements as to dimension, planeness and parallelism, corrosion resistance, and workmanship. They shall also be tested for their conformance to other properties such as index of refraction, clarity, resistance to boiling, solubility, and wettability.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification describes glass covers and slides for use in routine microscopy.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-Dec-2021
• ICS: 37.020 - Optical equipment
• Technical Committee: E41 - Laboratory Apparatus
• Drafting Committee: E41.01 - Laboratory Ware and Supplies

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation:E211 −82 (Reapproved 2022)
Standard Specification for
Cover Glasses and Glass Slides for Use in Microscopy
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E211; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3.1.3 Thickness—The thickness shall be as follows:
Number Thickness, mm
1.1 This specification describes glass covers and slides for
1 0.13 to 0.17
use in routine microscopy.
A
1 ⁄2 0.16 to 0.19
2 0.17 to 0.25
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
A
Specified as optimum by most microscope manufacturers.
standard.
3.2 Limited Use—The following sizes while recognized,
1.3 This international standard was developed in accor-
find limited use and are generally not as readily available.
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
3.2.1 Square—18, 24 and 25 mm on a side.
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
3.2.2 Rectangular—24 by 55 mm, 35 by 50 mm, 45 by 50
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mm, 20 by 26 mm and 20 by 40 mm.
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
3.2.3 Circular—18, 22 or 25 mm in diameter.
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
3.2.4 Thickness—Thickness Number 0, 0.08 to 0.13 mm.
2. Glass
3.3 Tolerance—Tolerance on dimensions other than thick-
ness shall be 60.5 mm.
2.1 Cover Glass—Glassshallbecolorless,transparentglass,
sufficiently free of pits, bubbles, or cloudiness so as not to
3.4 Blood Counting Chambers—The dimensions of cover
interfere with end-use performance. Such defects shall be
glasses for blood counting chambers shall be as follows:
regarded as major defects and limited accordingly. Inspection A A B
Length, mm width, mm Thickness, mm
shall be by the unaided eye in a good light viewing a single
20 21 0.4 or 0.6
20 26 0.4 or 0.6
cover glass at a time. Refractive index at sodium D line (589.3
25 28 0.4 or 0.6
nm) shall be 1.523 6 0.005.
A
2.2 Glass Slides—Glass slides covered by this specification The tolerance on length and width shall be ±1.0 mm.
B
The tolerance on thickness shall be ±0.06 mm.
shall consist of colorless, transparent glass which may have a
slight greenish tint when viewed edgewise. It shall be suffi-
4. Planeness
ciently free of pits, nicks, bubbles, striae, scratches, and
4.1 General Use—Cover glass may be expected to pass the
cloudiness when observed by the unaided eye so as not to
test as described in 14.1.
impair end-use performance. Index of refraction at the sodium
D line (589.3 nm) shall be 1.50 to 1.54. 4.2 Blood Counting Chambers—Cover glass shall be plane
within0.002mmonbothsidesandshallpasstheplanenesstest
COVER GLASSES
as described in 16.2.
3. Dimensions
5. Corrosion Resistance
3.1 General Use—The dimensions of cover glass for gen-
5.1 While no corrosion tests for cover glasses are hereby
eral use shall be as follows:
required, when desired for critical use, use the test in 14.2.
3.1.1 Square—22 mm on a side.
GLASS SLIDES
3.1.2 Rectangular—22 by 30, 22 by 40, 22 by 50, or 22 by
60 mm and 24 by 30, 24 by 40, 24 by 50, and 24 by 60 mm.
6. Dimensions
6.1 General Use:
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E41 on
6.1.1 Size—75.5 by 25.5 6 0.8 mm.
Laboratory Apparatus and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E41.01 on
Laboratory Ware and Supplies. 6.1.2 Thickness A—1.0 6 0.15 mm.
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2022. Published February 2022. Originally
Thickness B—1.2 6 0.15 mm.
approvedin1963.Lastpreviouseditionapprovedin2016asE211–82(2016).DOI:
10.1520/E0211-82R22. 6.2 Darkfield and Interference Microscopy:
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E211−82 (2022)
6.2.1 Size—75.5 by 25.5 6 0.8 mm. packagesmaybewrappedinamoisture-proofbarriermaterial,
6.2.2 Thickness C—1.20 6 0.005 mm. either singly or in groups to reduce field contamination,
Thickness D—0.90 6 0.075 mm. sticking and to extend shelf life.
Thickness E—1.50 6 0.05 mm.
TEST METHODS
6.3 Embryology—37.5 6 0.8 or 50.5 6 0.8 by 75.5 6 0.8
mm.
12. Index of Refraction
6.3.1 Thickness—Same as either thickness A or thickness B
12.1 Measure with a refractometer and sodium (yellow)
in 6.1 on general-use glass slides.
light.
6.4 Petrography:
13. Clarity
6.4.1 Size—25.5 by 45.5, 27 by 46, or 28 by 48 6 0.8 mm.
6.4.2 Thickness—Same as thickness A or B under general-
13.1 Examine the defects by the unaided eye. This means
use slides.
the use of an emmetropic eye or an ametropic eye corrected to
normal vision without further magnification. Examine cover
7. Planeness and Parallelism
glasses in good light in front of a dark surface. Examine
7.1 General Use—No requirements.
general-use slides with daylight or diffuse uniform artificial
light against a uniform dark background. Examine darkfield
7.2 Darkfield, Interference, Embryology, Petrography—No
and interference microscopy slides with a 10× magnifier in a
requirements.
light beam of at least 25 fc against a black background.
8. Corrosion Resistance
14. Planeness
8.1 General Use and Darkfield and Interference
14.1 The number of cover glasses specified in Table 1 shall
Microscopy—The slides shall not be adversely affected by
be stacked on a flat surface. The height of the stack shall be
boilingnor shall they exhibit any pink color in the solubility
measured within 60.05 mm.Athin stiff aluminum plate cut to
test.
the size of the cover glass is to be placed on top of the stack.
8.2 Embryology, Petrography—No requirements.
Aweight is placed on top of the plate so that the total mass of
the aluminum plate plus the weight is 100 g.Again, the height
9. Workmanship
of the stack is to be measured to within 6 0.05 mm. The
9.1 All edges of all glass slides shall be polished or ground. difference between the unloaded and loaded readings is the
They shall pass the wettability tests in Section 17. General-use
compression. Compression shall not exceed the amount shown
microscope slides shall be smooth and free from nicks or in the Table 1.
blemishes on the short edge which might impair their service-
14.2 Test planeness against an optical flat, using the inter-
ability for blood smear work.
ferometric method described in National Bureau of Standard
9.2 Frosted End—One end of one or both surfaces of
Circular 507.
microscope slides may be frosted to allow marking with a No.
15. Thickne
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