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ibidi µ-Slide 8 Well Glass Bottom
A chambered coverslip with eight individually walled wells on a #1.5H high-precision glass bottom, built for TIRF, single molecule detection and super-resolution microscopy where a polymer bottom will not do. Cells are cultured and imaged in the same vessel — no extra coverslip, no leakage between wells, and minimal cell and reagent consumption per condition.
What is the µ-Slide 8 Well Glass Bottom?
The ibidi µ-Slide 8 Well Glass Bottom is a chambered coverslip with eight individually walled wells built on a #1.5H glass bottom. It is the glass counterpart to the standard µ-Slide 8 Well, and it exists for one reason: some techniques will not tolerate a polymer bottom.
TIRF microscopy, single molecule detection and most super-resolution modalities depend on tightly specified refractive index and thickness. The #1.5H designation means the glass is held to a tighter thickness tolerance than standard #1.5 coverglass, which is what makes reliable evanescent field generation and aberration-free super-resolution reconstruction possible.
Everything else that makes the µ-Slide format useful still applies — eight independent wells on a standard slide footprint, low cell and reagent consumption per condition, no leakage between wells, and no need to mount an additional coverslip before imaging.
Key Features
- #1.5H glass bottom: Tight thickness tolerance for TIRF, single molecule detection and super-resolution microscopy, where standard coverglass variability degrades the result.
- Eight independent wells: Run eight conditions, replicates or stains on one slide without cross-contamination between wells.
- Low consumption per condition: Small well volumes mean fewer cells and less antibody or reagent per data point — a real saving in multi-condition immunofluorescence.
- No extra coverslip needed: Cells are cultured and imaged in the same vessel, removing the mounting step and the sample loss that comes with it.
- Standard slide footprint: Fits conventional slide holders, stage inserts and the ibidi heating and incubation systems without adapters.
- Optimised for inverted microscopy: Designed for the inverted configuration used in essentially all live cell and high-resolution imaging.
- Made in Germany: Manufactured under ISO 13485 with the batch consistency that quantitative imaging depends on.
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Technical Specifications
| Catalog Number | IBD-80827 |
| Number of Wells | 8 |
| Coverslip Bottom | #1.5H Glass (high-precision thickness tolerance) |
| Slide Format | Standard microscope slide footprint |
| Sterility | Sterilized |
| Microscopy Configuration | Optimised for inverted microscopy |
| Suitable For | Adherent cells, immunofluorescence, TIRF, single molecule detection, super-resolution microscopy |
| Manufacturing | Made in Germany, ISO 13485 certified |
Applications
- TIRF microscopy and single molecule detection
- Super-resolution microscopy (STED, STORM, PALM, SIM)
- High-resolution confocal imaging of adherent cells
- Immunofluorescence staining across up to eight conditions per slide
- Live cell imaging on heated stages and stage top incubators
- Multi-condition screening where reagent volume matters
Cell Cultivation and Imaging
Explore All ProductsFluorescence Imaging
Explore All Productsibidi µ-Slide 8 Well Glass Bottom Publications
The µ-Slide 8 Well Glass Bottom is widely cited in high-resolution imaging literature, particularly in TIRF, single molecule and super-resolution studies where the optical properties of a #1.5H glass bottom are a methodological requirement rather than a preference.
What is the difference between this and the standard µ-Slide 8 Well?
The chamber geometry is identical — the difference is the bottom. The standard µ-Slide 8 Well (IBD-80826) uses a #1.5 polymer coverslip, which has excellent optics for routine fluorescence and live cell work. This version uses a #1.5H glass coverslip, which is what you need for TIRF, single molecule detection and super-resolution, where polymer is not suitable.
What does the H in #1.5H actually mean?
It denotes high-precision thickness tolerance. Standard #1.5 coverglass is nominally 170 µm but varies noticeably between pieces; #1.5H is held to a much tighter tolerance around that value. Because high-NA objectives are corrected for a specific coverglass thickness, that variation translates directly into spherical aberration, which degrades TIRF penetration depth consistency and super-resolution reconstruction quality.
Do I need to coat the glass before seeding cells?
Often yes. Bare glass supports attachment for some robust cell lines, but primary cells and many sensitive lines adhere poorly to untreated glass. A coating such as collagen I, collagen IV, poly-L-lysine or fibronectin is common practice. ibidi Collagen Type I can be used for this.
Can I use it for live cell imaging as well as fixed samples?
Yes. The standard slide footprint fits ibidi heating inserts, stage top incubators and conventional stage holders without an adapter. For multi-day time-lapse in this format, consider pairing it with the ibidi Anti-Evaporation Oil, since the small well volumes are prone to evaporation artefacts.
Is a separate coverslip needed before imaging?
No. The glass bottom is the imaging surface, so cells are cultured, stained and imaged in the same vessel. This removes the mounting step entirely, along with the sample disturbance and cell loss that mounting can cause — a meaningful advantage when the cells are precious or the morphology is fragile.
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