RBGKEW1366 Ergonomic Microscopes

Overview

Trust Millennium Seed Bank is home to one of the largest ex situ repositories of wild seeds in the world, with collections of more than 40,000 species from across the globe. Kew requires replacement ergonomic stereoscopes to support the routine maintenance and research of these collections, including tasks such as germination scoring, seed counting, and morphological studies, which often require extended periods of stereoscope use. These stereoscopes are critical to both research and education. We require stereoscopes with a variable zoom range between 4x and 60x, providing sufficient working distance to allow the use of dissection tools on samples without obstruction. The stereoscopes should feature powerful LED illumination from above to ensure clear visibility of samples. They must be comfortable for users wearing glasses and designed for ease of operation to minimize discomfort during extended periods of use. Additionally, the stereoscopes should allow samples to be observable even when the user's eyes are not perfectly aligned with the viewing lens, providing freedom of head movement.