Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope

This is an Olympus BX61 WI fixed-stage motorized upright microscope. It has a built-in motorized Z-drive (0.01 µm resolution) with motorized brightfield and fluorescence illuminator. Fluorescence is capable of producing light output from 340 nm to a cutoff of 700 nm. Six-position motorized filter turret as well as manual fluorescence attachments are available for fluorescence scan. An arc lamp illumination source for maximum excitation wavelength flexibility. 4X dry, 40X dry and 60X water objectives are currently available for observation. Slide bookTM 4.2 is employed to record and analyze the images.

Applications

Intravital experiments

This upright microscope has a water immersion (WI) line of objectives with long distance, large approach angles for manipulator access, which is ideal for intravital experiments.

Calcium imaging

Disk Scanning Unit (3 disks available, optimized for the three objectives) optimizes the tradeoff between confocality and light throughput. It used an arc lamp illumination source for maximum excitation wavelength flexibility. The Disk Scanning Unit is excellent for live-cell applications where speed of acquisition and minimal phototoxicity. 60X water immersion objective is available for acquisition.

Location: First floor BSLII suite, Room 4.

Contact information: Hong Zhang, IB-Ley lab

Training procedures contact information: Leo Fernandez

Figure 1. Microscope, approximately as installed.