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Sen R, Hirvonen LM, Zhdanov A, Svihra P, Andersson-Engels S, Nomerotski A, Papkovsky D. New luminescence lifetime macro-imager based on a Tpx3Cam optical camera. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 11:77-88. [PMID: 32010501 PMCID: PMC6968763 DOI: 10.1364/boe.11.000077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The properties of a novel ultra-fast optical imager, Tpx3Cam, were investigated for macroscopic wide-field phosphorescent lifetime imaging (PLIM) applications. The camera is based on a novel optical sensor and Timepix3 readout chip with a time resolution of 1.6 ns, recording of photon arrival time and time over threshold for each pixel, and readout rate of 80 megapixels per second. In this study, we coupled the camera to an image intensifier, a 760 nm emission filter and a 50 mm lens, and with a super-bright 627nm LED providing pulsed excitation of a 18 × 18 mm sample area. The resulting macro-imager with compact and rigid optical alignment of its main components was characterised using planar phosphorescent O2 sensors and a resolution plate mask. Several acquisition and image processing algorithms were evaluated to optimise the system resolution and performance for the wide-field PLIM, followed by imaging a variety of phosphorescent samples. The new PLIM system looks promising, particularly for phosphorescence lifetime-based imaging of O2 in various chemical and biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajannya Sen
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Liisa M. Hirvonen
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis (CMCA), The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Alexander Zhdanov
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Peter Svihra
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague 115 19, Czech Republic
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M139PL, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrei Nomerotski
- Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA
| | - Dmitri Papkovsky
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Irish Photonics Integration Centre, Tyndall National Institute, Cork, Ireland
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Suhling K, Hirvonen LM, Becker W, Smietana S, Netz H, Milnes J, Conneely T, Marois AL, Jagutzki O, Festy F, Petrášek Z, Beeby A. Wide-field time-correlated single photon counting-based fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH. SECTION A, ACCELERATORS, SPECTROMETERS, DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT 2019; 942:162365. [PMID: 31645797 PMCID: PMC6716551 DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2019.162365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Wide-field time-correlated single photon counting detection techniques, where the position and the arrival time of the photons are recorded simultaneously using a camera, have made some advances recently. The technology and instrumentation used for this approach is employed in areas such as nuclear science, mass spectroscopy and positron emission tomography, but here, we discuss some of the wide-field TCSPC methods, for applications in fluorescence microscopy. We describe work by us and others as presented in the Ulitima fast imaging and tracking conference at the Argonne National Laboratory in September 2018, from phosphorescence lifetime imaging (PLIM) microscopy on the microsecond time scale to fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) on the nanosecond time scale, and highlight some applications of these techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Suhling
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- Corresponding author.
| | - Liisa M. Hirvonen
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Wolfgang Becker
- Becker & Hickl GmbH, Nunsdorfer Ring 7-9, 12277 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Smietana
- Becker & Hickl GmbH, Nunsdorfer Ring 7-9, 12277 Berlin, Germany
| | - Holger Netz
- Becker & Hickl GmbH, Nunsdorfer Ring 7-9, 12277 Berlin, Germany
| | - James Milnes
- Photek Ltd, 26 Castleham Rd, St Leonards on Sea TN38 9NS, UK
| | - Thomas Conneely
- Photek Ltd, 26 Castleham Rd, St Leonards on Sea TN38 9NS, UK
| | - Alix Le Marois
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Ottmar Jagutzki
- Institut für Kernphysik, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fred Festy
- Biomaterials, Biomimetics and Biophotonics Research Group, Kings College London Dental Institute at Guys Hospital, Kings Health Partners, Guys Dental Hospital, London Bridge, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Zdeněk Petrášek
- Institut für Biotechnologie und Bioprozesstechnik, Technische Universität Graz, Petersgasse, 10-12/I, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Andrew Beeby
- Department of Chemistry, University of Durham, Durham DH13LE, UK
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Hirvonen LM, Jiggins S, Sergent N, Zanda G, Suhling K. Photon counting imaging with an electron-bombarded CCD: towards a parallel-processing photoelectronic time-to-amplitude converter. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2014; 85:123102. [PMID: 25554267 DOI: 10.1063/1.4901935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We have used an electron-bombarded CCD for optical photon counting imaging. The photon event pulse height distribution was found to be linearly dependent on the gain voltage. We propose on this basis that a gain voltage sweep during exposure in an electron-bombarded sensor would allow photon arrival time determination with sub-frame exposure time resolution. This effectively uses an electron-bombarded sensor as a parallel-processing photoelectronic time-to-amplitude converter, or a two-dimensional photon counting streak camera. Several applications that require timing of photon arrival, including Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy, may benefit from such an approach. A simulation of a voltage sweep performed with experimental data collected with different acceleration voltages validates the principle of this approach. Moreover, photon event centroiding was performed and a hybrid 50% Gaussian/Centre of Gravity + 50% Hyperbolic cosine centroiding algorithm was found to yield the lowest fixed pattern noise. Finally, the camera was mounted on a fluorescence microscope to image F-actin filaments stained with the fluorescent dye Alexa 488 in fixed cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa M Hirvonen
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Jiggins
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Sergent
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Gianmarco Zanda
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Suhling
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
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Hirvonen LM, Festy F, Suhling K. Wide-field time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) lifetime microscopy with microsecond time resolution. OPTICS LETTERS 2014; 39:5602-5. [PMID: 25360938 DOI: 10.1364/ol.39.005602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
A 1 MHz frame rate complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera was used in combination with an image intensifier for wide-field time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) imaging. The system combines an ultrafast frame rate with single-photon sensitivity and was employed on a fluorescence microscope to image decays of ruthenium compound Ru(dpp) with lifetimes from around 1 to 5 μs. A submicrowatt excitation power over the whole field of view is sufficient for this approach, and compatibility with live-cell imaging was demonstrated by imaging europium-containing beads with a lifetime of 570 μs in living HeLa cells. A standard two-photon excitation scanning fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) system was used to independently verify the lifetime for the europium beads. This approach brings together advantageous features for time-resolved live-cell imaging such as low excitation intensity, single-photon sensitivity, ultrafast camera frame rates, and short acquisition times.
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Suhling K, Sergent N, Levitt J, Green M. Rapid wide-field photon counting imaging with microsecond time resolution. OPTICS EXPRESS 2010; 18:25292-25298. [PMID: 21164877 DOI: 10.1364/oe.18.025292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We report a novel wide-field imaging method capable of time-correlated single photon counting. It is based on a photon counting image intensifier coupled to an ultra-fast CMOS camera running at 40 kHz frame rate. Using a pulsed excitation source and decaying luminescent sample, the arrival times of hundreds of photons can be determined simultaneously in many pixels with microsecond resolution and reduced photon pile-up. The detection system is mounted on an inverted microscope and applied to time-resolved imaging of Europium-containing polyoxometalate nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Suhling
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
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