BUM400AFL Automated Fluorescence Slide Scanning Microscope

BUM400AFL is an inexpensive imaging package designed specifically for scanning of a single or double glass slide in brightfield and epi-fluorescence mode with optional darkfield, phase-contrast and polarizing imaging modes. Reflected imaging mode is also available on request.

Why BUM400AFL? This vs competitor products in the market.

There are two popular whole slide-scanning microscopes in the market. Both are made by two brands of Zeiss and Leica. Their price is at 6 digits. Ours are way below that and you will save at least 50% in the price. We understand our microscope is not as fast as those products, but its quality of images remains reasonably great. On top of that we offer this at small packages, which is affordable for small businesses and new PIs in the universities. Our winning point is that lots of customization can be offered such as custom filter sets per your application, camera resolution and sensitivity per your selection and range of objective lenses.

Features

• Automated biological upright epi-fluorescence microscope
• Motorized XY stage, Z focus, nosepiece
• LED Fluorescence imaging for Dapi/Hoechst, GFP/FITC/Alexa 488, TRITC/mCherry, plus optional custom filter such as red or Infrared.
• Sharp autofocus at custom size of steps, number of steps and number of skipped spots.
• Plan 4x, 10x, 20x objective lenses, optional 1.25x, 2x, 2.5x, 5x, 25x, 40x, 50x, 100x.
• Scanning of 50x75mm double-size glass slide or two single slide 25x75mm
• Preview of tiled /stitched image
• Direct access to individual images, save at standard formats (TIFF, JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, …).
• No limit on the number of tile size
• Optional advanced image analysis for measurement and tracking
• Optional automatic slide loader (racks of 100, 200,…).

Technical Specification

1. Microscope Optics

2. Fluorescence Module

* The specs of LED and filters may change per the customer request.

** Ask us to customize the LEDs and Filters among  our over 40 filter sets.

We also have 5W LED source. Please check this product BIA-FL-IS5.

3. Camera

a) CMOS Cameras

Note: C: Color, M: Monochrome, GS: Global Shutter

b) CCD, please visit this link: https://www.bioimager.com/product-category/cameras/ccd-cameras/2-stage-cooling/

c) sCMOS, Please visit this link: https://www.bioimager.com/product-category/cameras/scmos/

Software

1. User friendly interface

The slide scanning software has a very easy to use and user friendly  graphical user interface (GUI):

2. Easy and Simple Automation

The software has a very simple interface. You can move the XY stage, Z focus, autofocus at three speeds of movement (low, medium and high) with a click of mouse. It automatically rotates the obj lens, shows the light intensity, coordinates of the current position (X,Y,Z) and saves 3 custom positions for scanning, start or stop.

3. Move and position your sample

A sample can be moved and positioned at three different speeds of low, medium and high which can be set at custom values in all directions of horizontally (X), vertically (Y) and in height or depth of focus (Z).

4. Automatic Scanning

Depending on which objective lens is selected, you can define, select and save  the speed of movement, focusing range (number of focus, step size), step size (in X and Y direction), number of tiles (in X and Y), number  of autofocusing, a pause time at each field of view.

You can select fast scan without autofocusing.

You can also determine to reset the focus when you rotate the nosepiece and move between objective lenses or shut down the system.

5. Custom Objective Lens name, Light Intensity and Coordinates

The software allows easily to rename the objective lenses, change their position, define a default light intensity for that specific objective lens. In below example, we often switch between 2.5x and 40x. The system remembers that is the same spot but it should apply a different light intensity.

For safety reasons, you do have access to change the limit of movements in all directions of X, Y and Z. You can also choose to release or not the focus height during the rotate of  the nosepiece.

Videos & Images:

A) Videos

A1. This video demonstrates an example of  fluorescence (in red channel) imaging of a potato thin-section slide using 20x objective lens. It overview the software setting for this case study, shows autofocusing, manual exposure and also reviews the final image after stitching 18×21 tiles.

B) Images

Whole Coverslip 20mm x 20mm Imaging

A 20x22mm area is scanned by 2.5x obj lens with a 5×8 tile and processed in less than 94 seconds (1min 34 sec). Below is the raw image with tiled boarder lines.

Example 1. Brightfield Imaging of a cartilage tissue slide

1.a. Using a 4x obj lens, and 5×3 tile:

1.b. Same Slide with 10x obj lens and 9×5 tiles

1.c. Cartilage Slide scanned with 20x obj lens, 18×9 tiles, manual exposure, autofocus every 5 spots

Example 2. Potato thin Section Slide

2.1. Brightfield imaging using 4x objective lens, with 4×5 tiles, autoexposure, non autofocus.

2.2. Fluorescence imaging using 4x objective lens, with 4×5 tiles, manual exposure 600ms,  autofocus on every 3 spots with focus range of 10 steps of 40=400 steps (each step has 0.31um height).

2.3. Brightfield imaging using 10x objective lens, with 9×11 tiles, autoexposure,  autofocus on every 3 spots with focus range of 16 steps of 8= total 128 steps (each step has 0.31um height).

2.4. Fluorescence imaging using 10x objective lens, with 9×11 tiles, autoexposure,  autofocus on every 1 spots with focus range of 16 steps of 8= total 128 steps (each step has 0.31um height).

2.5. Fluorescence imaging using 20x objective lens, with 19×20 tiles, manual exposure,  non autofocus.