The Olympus BX63 Brightfield and Fluorescence Microscope:
The BX63 is a state-of-the-art upright microscope that allows the user to produce publication quality high resolution brightfield or fluorescence images of properly fixed and mounted histologically stained or fluorescently labeled tissues and cells.
Some of the Olympus BX63 specifications:
Fully Motorized and Easy to Use
The BX63 is a fully motorized highly stable system that allows automation of complex multidimensional experiments due to its fixed stage design and accurate motorized Z-drive.
Flexible and easy to use, the fully motorized BX63 microscope uses the motorized nosepiece to focus onto the sample - Z-stack capture and deconvolution are highly accurate. The motorized nosepiece enables the stage to be fixed for added stability and reliable imaging. The smooth, silent motorized stage is driven by ultrasonic piezo technology for precise operation.
The controller pad enables you to change observation methods with just a touch. Choose between guidance mode to navigate the procedures currently in use and full mode for access to the entire range of settings.
Mirror Units Optimized for Fluorescence:
Easily changeable mirror units provide flexibility for a wide variety of fluorescence specimens. The fluorescence mirror units have advanced coatings that provide high transmission and steep cut-off slopes. The interior surfaces eliminate over 99% of stray light for high sensitivity and sharp color separation.
High-Transmission Objectives with Reduced Autofluorescence:
UIS2 objectives with a high numerical aperture (NA) have chromatic aberration corrections to provide high resolution, even from faint fluorescence signals. Advanced coating technologies reduce autofluorescence and improve the signal-to-noise ratio for flat, high transmission over a wide wavelength.
The BX63 has five dry objectives:
2X PlanApo 2X/0.08
4X UPlanXApo 4X/0.16
10X UPlanXApo 10X/0.40
20X UPlanXApo 20X/0.80
40X UPlanXApo 40X/0.95
Fluorescence and brightfield images are taken using both a Hamamatsu ORCA-Flash 4.0 LT camera and an Olympus DP74 camera respectively.
Olympus Proprietary Operating Software:
The BX63 is operated using the cellSens software package specifically designed by Olympus.
The Olympus cellSens platform gives you full control over the display and placement of icons, toolbars, and controls, enabling the software to grow and adapt to meet your evolving research needs.
cellSens Dimension:
The most versatile member of the Olympus cellSens family is cellSens Dimension, featuring fully automated image acquisition, powerful analysis tools, and so much more.
Training:
Training will be provided for all users by the core manager (see the core contact information page). All users must first be trained by the technician before being allowed to use the Olympus microscope without assistance.
Reservations:
For all Olympus scope users, once training has been completed with the core manager, simply sign up to use the scope by clicking on the core’s Bookings page link provided below. The sign-up page will give the user the choice of microscopes to use; either the Leica confocal or the Olympus fluorescence scope. A currently active account number for billing purposes must be provided on the sign-up form (even though there is no charge to use the Olympus scope). We ask that you try to limit your usage of the microscope to half-day increments, especially during days when others are interested in using the scope as well.
The Bookings sign-up link:
https://outlook.office.com/book/MicroscopyCoreFacility@etsu365.onmicrosoft.com/
Policies:
Every user must provide their own form of information storage in the form of a jump/thumb drive. The hard disc space on the PC workstation may occasionally be “cleaned” and purged of user data; long-term storage of data cannot be guaranteed. It is the responsibility of the user to take with them their own scan data when their session has ended.
No eating or drinking are allowed in the room at any time.
The core asks that proper acknowledgements be given in professional manuscripts and journal articles when data obtained from our facility is used for publication purposes.
Usage fees:
There are no fees associated with the use of the Olympus fluorescence microscope; all ETSU students and staff are welcome to use the scope once they have been properly trained and have signed up using the Bookings online sign-up link (listed below).