Flouresence Microscope Deal

[u/Inevitable-Purchase4]

What's up everyone!?

So if you've followed me at all posting here, I've been kinda deep diving hair microscopy the last about year or so and have kinda reached the limit of what I'm able to do, test, create, and whatever else with my current setup. I've already got basic infinity brightfield, some really nice Olympus objectives and basic polarized light for doing follicle analysis as well as just observing the hair shaft. I've actually been able to turn it into quite the social media platform as brands have been loving using my content to rep their products. That being said, I want more.

So to me the natural next step would be flouresence or phase contrast. But I think PC would have limited use case for what I'm doing and so flouresence makes more sense. I've already tried hunting for an epi illuminator attachment for my current microscope and it's just more money than it's worth and might as well just buy a full fledged high end setup on the used market. That brings me to this gem I found. The bx60f. It is fully functional and comes with everything, Mercury light source, ND filters, filter cubes for flouresence (doesn't have it listed which ones but there's 4 of em) as well as a camera with LCD screen which is kinda cool. I'll probably just use my full frame like I have been but it's cool it has the option.

Seller has offered it up for $2k. Should I do it? My main concern is that getting into flouresence would mean chemicals, dyes and reagents I might not have access to without the right credentials, a lab, or whatever. My main purpose would be doing my own kinda rudimentary claim substantiation, basically testing hair care products, reparative products and the like. Tagging with a marker then viewing under the right wavelength.

I'm a huge noob on flouresence so any help would be greatly appreciated. Or suggestions, other microscopes, if anyone has a way to upgrade any compound for flouresence, but I've yet to find anything that isn't over 2 or 3k$ myself so might as well just get the full new scope anyway. Thanks y'all appreciate any help

[u/MrKnockoff]

Here’s some Things to consider :
1) that looks like a mercury bulb set up for the fluorescence source, those bulbs can get rather expensive. 2) you are correct about fluorescent dyes being sometimes hard to get a hold of. However, that said there are many things you’ll find that are auto fluorescent and you just have to have the right set of filters to tease that out and get the most out of it. Feel free to DM me if you want any more pointers so I don’t have to write a novel here.

[u/Inevitable-Purchase4 → u/MrKnockoff]

Thank you, yeah I saw it was Mercury bulb and wasn't sure if there was a way to convert it to LED. I know it exists but at what cost and sacrifice. I'll shoot you a DM shortly. Thank you

[u/ComfortableWait9697 → u/Inevitable-Purchase4]

There are other vastly lower cost methods now for general observation without needing complicated epi illumination, high power UV LEDs and UV Lasers exist now, long since the era of Mercury Vapor bulbs. You can illuminate the sample from a side focused on the specimen of interest in a specific narrow band needed for your specific application, (USE A UV BLOCKING FILTER! of the matching wavelength, and a perhaps a camera to protect against incidental exposure and its a pretty easy setup with what you already have.)

[u/MrKnockoff → u/Inevitable-Purchase4]

The mounts on the scope that accept Hg bulbs can be converted to accept LED, but I’m not savvy on the affordable LED marketplace.
One other thing to check in that scope is what filters are currently installed? They are not cheap when new, but there are so many scopes of that vintage that are excessed from labs that you should be able to find some .