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Andor BC43 Benchtop Confocal

Work in progress

This dashboard is a work in progress. Please independently verify critical information, as not all features are working yet.

Current Status: 🟢 Online

Operational

📊 View QC & Maintenance History 🔬 Open Virtual Microscope

Andor BC43 Benchtop Confocal
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
Use these chips to quickly decide if this microscope supports your planned imaging mode, contrast method, or readout.
Confocal spinning diskWidefield fluorescenceTransmitted brightfieldPhase contrastLive cell imaging
Modules
Hardware Autofocus Incubation


Software Environment

  • Fusion BC43 (v2.7.0)
    Acquisition
    Role: Acquisition
    Developer: Andor
    Version: 2.7.0

  • 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 Configuration

🌡️ 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
    Wavelength: 405 nm
    Notes: Part of BC43 excitation lines

  • 488 nm Laser Andor Borealis Illumination
    Andor
    Type: Laser
    Wavelength: 488 nm
    Notes: Part of BC43 excitation lines

  • 561 nm Laser Andor Borealis Illumination
    Andor
    Type: Laser
    Wavelength: 561 nm
    Notes: Part of BC43 excitation lines

  • 638 nm Laser Andor Borealis Illumination
    Andor
    Type: Laser
    Wavelength: 638 nm
    Notes: Part of BC43 excitation lines

  • 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
    Type: Spinning Disk Scanner
    Pinhole: 50 µm
    Notes: Microlens-spinning disk multipoint confocal. Features 50 µm pinholes with optimized spacing for deep tissue imaging.

📷 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

  • 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: Included in base BC43 CF. 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-142-0
    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-145-0
    AFC compatible: Yes
    Installed: Yes
    Notes: Optical family: Lambda D.

⚙️ Advanced Hardware

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

🎛️ Optical Path Elements

  • BC43 Internal Dichroic
    Dichroic
    Element type: Fixed
    Pos 1: Multiband Dichroic — emission 450/50 nm, 525/50 nm, 600/50 nm, 685/50 nm — Built-in multiband dichroic for standard 4-line excitation. Explicit transmission windows are aligned to the installed emission channels.

  • BC43 Internal Emission Filters
    Emission
    Element type: Filter Wheel
    Pos 1: DAPI — emission 450/50 nm
    Pos 2: GFP — emission 525/50 nm
    Pos 3: mCherry — emission 600/50 nm
    Pos 4: CY5 — emission 685/50 nm

QC Metrics: Latest Measurements

🔦 Laser Performance

  • laser.at_obj.405.100pct.power_mw

    18.0
    laser.at_obj.405.100pct.power_mw

  • laser.at_obj.488.100pct.power_mw

    12.0
    laser.at_obj.488.100pct.power_mw

  • laser.at_obj.561.100pct.power_mw

    13.0
    laser.at_obj.561.100pct.power_mw

  • laser.at_obj.638.100pct.power_mw

    16.0
    laser.at_obj.638.100pct.power_mw

🔬 Optical Resolution (PSF & Alignment)

No recent PSF or chromatic shift metrics available for any objectives.

Objectives without recent data

  • 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)

Metadata Completeness

  • Missing conditional fields (currently applicable):

  • software[].version — Software version