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Andor BC43 Benchtop Confocal

About this microscope

Here you’ll find the hardware and capabilities currently recorded for this microscope. If you are planning an experiment, AIC Turku staff can help with access, training, and configuration choices.

Current status: 🟢 Online

Operational

QC and maintenance history Open Virtual Microscope

Andor BC43 Benchtop Confocal microscope
Manufacturer
Andor
Model
BC43
Stand
Benchtop
Eyepieces
Camera-only
Location
BioCity, 5th floor, room 5149
Purchased
2026
Funding
Research Council of Finland FIRI funding
Capabilities
These are the capabilities recorded for this microscope. Open the optical-route details below to see how the hardware is connected.
Confocal spinning diskWidefield fluorescenceTransmitted brightfieldDifferential Phase Contrast (DPC)Live cell imaging
Methods and the light path that records them
Each method below is explicitly associated in the instrument record with the physical light path that implements it. An imaging mode or contrast method that appears above but not here has no recorded method-to-path mapping yet.
  • Spinning-disk confocal: Confocal spinning disk
  • Widefield fluorescence: Widefield fluorescence
  • Transmitted light: Transmitted brightfield, Differential Phase Contrast (DPC)
Modules
Hardware Autofocus Incubation


Software

  • Fusion BC43 (v2.7.0)
    Acquisition
    Role: Acquisition
    Developer: Andor
    Version: 2.7.0
    Notes: Activated modules: Focus Map and Tilt Correction; Irregular Montage.

  • Imaris Quant
    Analysis
    Role: Analysis
    Developer: Oxford Instruments / Andor
    Version: Not documented
    Notes: Offline license for high-quality snapshots, movie creation, isosurface reconstructions, and traditional intensity-based/AI metric characterization.

Hardware

Environmental control

  • Environmental Control
    controlled temperature, controlled CO2, controlled humidity
    Temperature control: Yes
    CO2 control: Yes
    Humidity control: Yes
    Notes: TOPSTAGE-ANDOR-BL3 Incubator Bundle (T/H/CO2)

Light sources

  • 405 nm Laser Andor Borealis Illumination
    Andor
    Type: Laser
    Role: Excitation
    Wavelength: 405 nm

  • 488 nm Laser Andor Borealis Illumination
    Andor
    Type: Laser
    Role: Excitation
    Wavelength: 488 nm

  • 561 nm Laser Andor Borealis Illumination
    Andor
    Type: Laser
    Role: Excitation
    Wavelength: 561 nm

  • 638 nm Laser Andor Borealis Illumination
    Andor
    Type: Laser
    Role: Excitation
    Wavelength: 638 nm

  • LED Andor Transmitted Light Illuminator
    Andor
    Type: LED
    Role: Transmitted Illumination
    Notes: Used for Brightfield and Differential Phase Contrast (DPC). Broadband white LED.

Scanner

  • Spinning Disk Scanner
    Andor BC43 dual-microlens spinning disk
    Type: Spinning Disk Scanner
    Manufacturer: Andor
    Model: BC43 dual-microlens spinning disk
    Pinhole: 50 µm

Detectors

  • Andor 4.1 MP sCMOS
    Scientific CMOS
    Type: Scientific CMOS
    Pixel pitch: 6.5 µm
    QE peak: 82%
    Notes: 16-bit. 18.4 mm field of view.

Objectives

View this microscope's objectives in the catalogue

  • 2X Plan Achromat 2x/0.06 AIR
    Andor
    Model: 2X Plan Achromat
    Magnification / NA: 2x/0.06
    Immersion: Air
    Correction: Plan Achromat
    Working distance: 7.5 mm
    Product code: INS-OBJ-02-006
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Included with the BC43 base system.

  • 10X Plan Apo LD Air 10x/0.45 AIR
    Nikon
    Model: 10X Plan Apo LD Air
    Magnification / NA: 10x/0.45
    Immersion: Air
    Correction: Plan Apochromat
    Working distance: 4.0 mm
    Product code: INS-OBJ-10D-045
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Optical family: Lambda D.

  • 20X Plan Apo LD Air 20x/0.8 AIR
    Nikon
    Model: 20X Plan Apo LD Air
    Magnification / NA: 20x/0.8
    Immersion: Air
    Correction: Plan Apochromat
    Working distance: 0.8 mm
    Product code: INS-OBJ-20D-080
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Optical family: Lambda D.

  • 40X Plan Apo LD Air 40x/0.95 AIR
    Nikon
    Model: 40X Plan Apo LD Air
    Magnification / NA: 40x/0.95
    Immersion: Air
    Correction: Plan Apochromat
    Working distance: 0.21 mm
    Product code: INS-OBJ-40D-095
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Optical family: Lambda D.

  • 40X Plan Apo LS Sil Oil 40x/1.25 SILICONE
    Nikon
    Model: 40X Plan Apo LS Sil Oil
    Magnification / NA: 40x/1.25
    Immersion: Silicone
    Correction: Plan Apochromat
    Working distance: 0.3 mm
    Product code: INS-OBJ-40S-125-SIL
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Optical family: Lambda S.

  • 60X Plan Apo LD Oil 60x/1.42 OIL
    Nikon
    Model: 60X Plan Apo LD Oil
    Magnification / NA: 60x/1.42
    Immersion: Oil
    Correction: Plan Apochromat
    Working distance: 0.15 mm
    Product code: INS-OBJ-60D-142-O
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Optical family: Lambda D.

  • 100x Plan Apo LD Oil 100x/1.45 OIL
    Nikon
    Model: 100x Plan Apo LD Oil
    Magnification / NA: 100x/1.45
    Immersion: Oil
    Correction: Plan Apochromat
    Working distance: 0.13 mm
    Product code: INS-OBJ-100D-145-O
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Optical family: Lambda D.

Autofocus and triggering

  • Infrared Reflection Autofocus
    Installed: Yes
    Type: Infrared Reflection Autofocus

Optical-path elements

  • BC43 Internal Dichroic
    Dichroic
    Element type: Fixed

  • BC43 Internal Emission Filters
    Emission
    Element type: Filter Wheel
    Pos 1: DAPI — emission 445/20 nm
    Pos 2: GFP — emission 529/24 nm
    Pos 3: mCherry — emission 595/31 nm
    Pos 4: CY5 — emission 708/75 nm

Latest QC measurements

Laser performance

  • Laser · At Obj · 405 · 100pct · Power mW

    18 mW
    laser.at_obj.405.100pct.power_mw

  • Laser · At Obj · 488 · 100pct · Power mW

    12 mW
    laser.at_obj.488.100pct.power_mw

  • Laser · At Obj · 561 · 100pct · Power mW

    13 mW
    laser.at_obj.561.100pct.power_mw

  • Laser · At Obj · 638 · 100pct · Power mW

    16 mW
    laser.at_obj.638.100pct.power_mw

Optical resolution (PSF and alignment)

No recent PSF or chromatic-shift measurements are recorded for these objectives.

Objectives without recent measurements

  • 2X Plan Achromat 2x/0.06 AIR (2x_air)

  • 10X Plan Apo LD Air 10x/0.45 AIR (10x_air)

  • 20X Plan Apo LD Air 20x/0.8 AIR (20x_air)

  • 40X Plan Apo LD Air 40x/0.95 AIR (40x_air)

  • 40X Plan Apo LS Sil Oil 40x/1.25 SILICONE (40x_silicone)

  • 60X Plan Apo LD Oil 60x/1.42 OIL (60x_oil)

  • 100x Plan Apo LD Oil 100x/1.45 OIL (100x_oil)

Environment and stage performance

  • Visual · Optical Path Integrity

    verified
    visual.optical_path_integrity

Information still to confirm

Some details in the facility record are incomplete. If any of these matter for your experiment, please check them with AIC Turku staff.

  • Details needed for this configuration:

  • Software version (software[].version)