1
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Barroso M, Monaghan MG, Niesner R, Dmitriev RI. Probing organoid metabolism using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM): The next frontier of drug discovery and disease understanding. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 201:115081. [PMID: 37647987 PMCID: PMC10543546 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Organoid models have been used to address important questions in developmental and cancer biology, tissue repair, advanced modelling of disease and therapies, among other bioengineering applications. Such 3D microenvironmental models can investigate the regulation of cell metabolism, and provide key insights into the mechanisms at the basis of cell growth, differentiation, communication, interactions with the environment and cell death. Their accessibility and complexity, based on 3D spatial and temporal heterogeneity, make organoids suitable for the application of novel, dynamic imaging microscopy methods, such as fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and related decay time-assessing readouts. Several biomarkers and assays have been proposed to study cell metabolism by FLIM in various organoid models. Herein, we present an expert-opinion discussion on the principles of FLIM and PLIM, instrumentation and data collection and analysis protocols, and general and emerging biosensor-based approaches, to highlight the pioneering work being performed in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Michael G Monaghan
- Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 02, Ireland
| | - Raluca Niesner
- Dynamic and Functional In Vivo Imaging, Freie Universität Berlin and Biophysical Analytics, German Rheumatism Research Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ruslan I Dmitriev
- Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Group, Department of Human Structure and Repair, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent Light Microscopy Core, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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2
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Wilda CB, Burnstock A, Suhling K, Mattioli Della Rocca F, Henderson RK, Nedbal J. Visualising varnish removal for conservation of paintings by fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). HERITAGE SCIENCE 2023; 11:127. [PMID: 37333623 PMCID: PMC10276100 DOI: 10.1186/s40494-023-00957-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The removal of varnish from the surface is a key step in painting conservation. Varnish removal is traditionally monitored by examining the painting surface under ultraviolet illumination. We show here that by imaging the fluorescence lifetime instead, much better contrast, sensitivity, and specificity can be achieved. For this purpose, we developed a lightweight (4.8 kg) portable instrument for macroscopic fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). It is based on a time-correlated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) camera to acquire the FLIM images and a pulsed 440 nm diode laser to excite the varnish fluorescence. A historical model painting was examined to demonstrate the capabilities of the system. We found that the FLIM images provided information on the distribution of the varnish on the painting surface with greater sensitivity, specificity, and contrast compared to the traditional ultraviolet illumination photography. The distribution of the varnish and other painting materials was assessed using FLIM during and after varnish removal with different solvent application methods. Monitoring of the varnish removal process between successive solvent applications by a swab revealed an evolving image contrast as a function of the cleaning progress. FLIM of dammar and mastic resin varnishes identified characteristic changes to their fluorescence lifetimes depending on their ageing conditions. Thus, FLIM has a potential to become a powerful and versatile tool to visualise varnish removal from paintings. Graphical Abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine B. Wilda
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS United Kingdom
- The Courtauld, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC1X 0RN United Kingdom
- ConservArt, 6620 E Rogers Cir, Boca Raton, FL 33487 United States
| | - Aviva Burnstock
- The Courtauld, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC1X 0RN United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Suhling
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Mattioli Della Rocca
- School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL United Kingdom
- Europe Technology Development Centre, Sony Semiconductor Solutions - Sony Europe B.V., Trento, Italy
| | - Robert K. Henderson
- School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL United Kingdom
| | - Jakub Nedbal
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS United Kingdom
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3
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Maccarone A, Drummond K, McCarthy A, Steinlehner UK, Tachella J, Garcia DA, Pawlikowska A, Lamb RA, Henderson RK, McLaughlin S, Altmann Y, Buller GS. Submerged single-photon LiDAR imaging sensor used for real-time 3D scene reconstruction in scattering underwater environments. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:16690-16708. [PMID: 37157743 DOI: 10.1364/oe.487129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a fully submerged underwater LiDAR transceiver system based on single-photon detection technologies. The LiDAR imaging system used a silicon single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector array fabricated in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology to measure photon time-of-flight using picosecond resolution time-correlated single-photon counting. The SPAD detector array was directly interfaced to a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for real-time image reconstruction capability. Experiments were performed with the transceiver system and target objects immersed in a water tank at a depth of 1.8 meters, with the targets placed at a stand-off distance of approximately 3 meters. The transceiver used a picosecond pulsed laser source with a central wavelength of 532 nm, operating at a repetition rate of 20 MHz and average optical power of up to 52 mW, dependent on scattering conditions. Three-dimensional imaging was demonstrated by implementing a joint surface detection and distance estimation algorithm for real-time processing and visualization, which achieved images of stationary targets with up to 7.5 attenuation lengths between the transceiver and the target. The average processing time per frame was approximately 33 ms, allowing real-time three-dimensional video demonstrations of moving targets at ten frames per second at up to 5.5 attenuation lengths between transceiver and target.
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4
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Mai H, Jarman A, Erdogan AT, Treacy C, Finlayson N, Henderson RK, Poland SP. Development of a high-speed line-scanning fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope for biological imaging. OPTICS LETTERS 2023; 48:2042-2045. [PMID: 37058637 DOI: 10.1364/ol.482403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We report the development of a novel line-scanning microscope capable of acquiring high-speed time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC)-based fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) imaging. The system consists of a laser-line focus, which is optically conjugated to a 1024 × 8 single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD)-based line-imaging complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), with 23.78 µm pixel pitch at 49.31% fill factor. Incorporation of on-chip histogramming on the line-sensor enables acquisition rates 33 times faster than our previously reported bespoke high-speed FLIM platforms. We demonstrate the imaging capability of the high-speed FLIM platform in a number of biological applications.
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5
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Wu W, Shan X, Long Y, Ma J, Huang K, Yan M, Liang Y, Zeng H. Free-Running Single-Photon Detection via GHz Gated InGaAs/InP APD for High Time Resolution and Count Rate up to 500 Mcount/s. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:437. [PMID: 36838137 PMCID: PMC9961215 DOI: 10.3390/mi14020437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Free-running InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche photodiodes (SPADs) typically operate in the active-quenching mode, facing the problems of long dead time and large timing jitter. In this paper, we demonstrate a 1-GHz gated InGaAs/InP SPAD with the sinusoidal gating signals asynchronous to the incident pulsed laser, enabling free-running single-photon detection. The photon-induced avalanche signals are quenched within 1 ns, efficiently reducing the SPAD's dead time and achieving a count rate of up to 500 Mcount/s. However, the timing jitter is measured to be ~168 ps, much larger than that of the SPAD with synchronous gates. We adjust the delay between the gating signals and the incident pulsed laser to simulate the random arrival of the photons, and record the timing jitter, respectively, to figure out the cause of the jitter deterioration. In addition, the effects of the incident laser power and working temperature of the APD on the time resolution have been investigated, broadening the applications of the GHz gated free-running SPAD in laser ranging and imaging, fluorescence spectroscopy detection and optical time-domain reflectometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wu
- School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Xiao Shan
- School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Yaoqiang Long
- School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Jing Ma
- School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Kun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Ming Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yan Liang
- School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Heping Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing 401147, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, Shanghai 201215, China
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6
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Sorrells J, Iyer RR, Yang L, Martin EM, Wang G, Tu H, Marjanovic M, Boppart SA. Computational Photon Counting Using Multithreshold Peak Detection for Fast Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy. ACS PHOTONICS 2022; 9:2748-2755. [PMID: 35996369 PMCID: PMC9389606 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.2c00505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Time-resolved photon counting methods have a finite bandwidth that restricts the acquisition speed of techniques like fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). To enable faster imaging, computational methods can be employed to count photons when the output of a detector is directly digitized at a high sampling rate. Here, we present computational photon counting using a hybrid photodetector in conjunction with multithreshold peak detection to count instances where one or more photons arrive at the detector within the detector response time. This method can be used to distinguish up to five photon counts per digitized point, whereas previous demonstrations of computational photon counting on data acquired with photomultiplier tubes have only counted one photon at a time. We demonstrate in both freely moving C. elegans and a human breast cancer cell line undergoing apoptosis that this novel multithreshold peak detection method can accurately characterize the intensity and fluorescence lifetime of samples producing photon rates up to 223%, higher than previously demonstrated photon counting FLIM systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet
E. Sorrells
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Rishyashring R. Iyer
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Lingxiao Yang
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Elisabeth M. Martin
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Geng Wang
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Haohua Tu
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Marina Marjanovic
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Stephen A. Boppart
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Cancer
Center at Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carle
Illinois College of Medicine, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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7
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McShane EP, Chandrasekharan HK, Kufcsák A, Finlayson N, Erdogan AT, Henderson RK, Dhaliwal K, Thomson RR, Tanner MG. High resolution TCSPC imaging of diffuse light with a one-dimensional SPAD array scanning system. OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 30:27926-27937. [PMID: 36236951 DOI: 10.1364/oe.461334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We report a time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) imaging system based on a line-scanning architecture. The system benefits from the high fill-factor, active area, and large dimension of an advanced CMOS single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array line-sensor. A two-dimensional image is constructed using a moving mirror to scan the line-sensor field-of-view (FOV) across the target, to enable the efficient acquisition of a two-dimensional 0.26 Mpixel TCSPC image. We demonstrate the capabilities of the system for TCSPC imaging and locating objects obscured in scattering media - specifically to locate a series of discrete point sources of light along an optical fibre submerged in a highly scattering solution. We demonstrate that by selectively imaging using early arriving photons which have undergone less scattering than later arriving photons, our TCSPC imaging system is able to locate the position of discrete point sources of light than a non-time-resolved imaging system.
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8
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Avanzi E, Behera A, Contini D, Spinelli L, Dalla Mora A, Di Sieno L. Effects and correctability of pile-up distortion using established figures of merit in time-domain diffuse optics at extreme photon rates. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5417. [PMID: 35354888 PMCID: PMC8967884 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09385-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-domain diffuse optics (TD-DO) allows one to probe diffusive media with recognized advantages over other working domains but suffers from a poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) resulting from the need to build-up the histogram of single-photon arrival times with maximum count rates (CR) of few percent of the laser pulse rate to avoid the so-called "pile-up" distortion. Here we explore the feasibility of TD-DO under severe pile-up conditions with a systematic in-silico/experimental study evaluating the effects and correctability of the distortion by means of shared figures of merit. In-silico, we demonstrate that pile-up correction allows one the retrieval of homogeneous optical properties with average error < 1% up to a CR > 99%, while the optimal CR needed to detect localized perturbation was found to be 83%. Experiments reported here confirm these findings despite exhibiting higher accuracy errors in the retrieval of homogeneous optical properties and higher noise in the detection of localized absorption perturbations, but in line with the state-of-the-art systems. This work validates a new working regime for TD-DO, demonstrating an increase of the SNR at constant acquisition time, but also potentially leading in the future to previously unrealizable measurements of dynamic phenomena or in spatial scanning applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Avanzi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Anurag Behera
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Contini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Spinelli
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Dalla Mora
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Laura Di Sieno
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
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9
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Fast Gating for Raman Spectroscopy. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21082579. [PMID: 33916972 PMCID: PMC8067580 DOI: 10.3390/s21082579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fast gating in Raman spectroscopy is used to reject the fluorescence contribution from the sample and/or the substrate. Several techniques have been set up in the last few decades aiming either to enhance the Raman signal (CARS, SERS or Resonant Raman scattering) or to cancel out the fluorescence contribution (SERDS), and a number of reviews have already been published on these sub-topics. However, for many reasons it is sometimes necessary to reject fluorescence in traditional Raman spectroscopy, and in the last few decades a variety of papers dealt with this issue, which is still challenging due to the time scales at stake (down to picoseconds). Fast gating (<1 ns) in the time domain allows one to cut off part of the fluorescence signal and retrieve the best Raman signal, depending on the fluorescence lifetime of the sample and laser pulse duration. In particular, three different techniques have been developed to accomplish this task: optical Kerr cells, intensified Charge Coupling Devices and systems based on Single Photon Avalanche Photodiodes. The utility of time domain fast gating will be discussed, and In this work, the utility of time domain fast gating is discussed, as well as the performances of the mentioned techniques as reported in literature.
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10
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Bitton A, Sambrano J, Valentino S, Houston JP. A Review of New High-Throughput Methods Designed for Fluorescence Lifetime Sensing From Cells and Tissues. FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS 2021; 9:648553. [PMID: 34007839 PMCID: PMC8127321 DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2021.648553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Though much of the interest in fluorescence in the past has been on measuring spectral qualities such as wavelength and intensity, there are two other highly useful intrinsic properties of fluorescence: lifetime (or decay) and anisotropy (or polarization). Each has its own set of unique advantages, limitations, and challenges in detection when it comes to use in biological studies. This review will focus on the property of fluorescence lifetime, providing a brief background on instrumentation and theory, and examine the recent advancements and applications of measuring lifetime in the fields of high-throughput fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (HT-FLIM) and time-resolved flow cytometry (TRFC). In addition, the crossover of these two methods and their outlooks will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aric Bitton
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Jesus Sambrano
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Samantha Valentino
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Jessica P. Houston
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
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11
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Hwang W, Kim D, Moon S, Kim DY. Achieving a high photon count rate in digital time-correlated single photon counting using a hybrid photodetector. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:9797-9804. [PMID: 33820132 DOI: 10.1364/oe.419896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We report an enhanced photon count rate in a digitally implemented time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) system by utilizing a hybrid photodetector (HPD). In our digital TCSPC scheme, the photoelectronic responses from a single photon-sensitive photodetector are digitally analyzed through a high-speed analog-to-digital convertor (ADC). By virtue of the HPD which provides nearly a constant signal gain, the single-photon pulses can be effectively distinguished from pulses of simultaneously detected multiple photons by the pulse heights. Consequently, our digital TCSPC system can selectively collect single-photon signals even in the presence of intense multi-photon detections with its temporal accuracy not to be compromised. In our experiment of fluorescence lifetime measurement, the maximum count rate of single photons nearly reached the theoretical limit given by the Poisson statistics. This demonstrated that the digital TCSPC combined with the HPD provides an ultimate solution for the TCSPC implementation for high photon count rates.
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12
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Junek J, Žídek K. Fluorescence lifetime imaging via spatio-temporal speckle patterns in a single-pixel camera configuration. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:5538-5551. [PMID: 33726089 DOI: 10.1364/oe.413650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy offers excellent methods for mapping the PL decay on the nanosecond time scale. However, capturing maps of emission dynamics on the microsecond timescale can be highly time-consuming. We present a new approach to fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), which combines the concept of random temporal speckles excitation (RATS) with the concept of a single-pixel camera based on spatial speckles. The spatio-temporal speckle pattern makes it possible to map PL dynamics with unmatched simplicity. Moreover, the method can acquire all the data necessary to map PL decay on the microsecond timescale within minutes. We present proof-of-principle measurements for two samples and compare the reconstructed decays to the non-imaging measurements. Finally, we discuss the effect of the preprocessing routine and other factors on the reconstruction noise level. The presented method is suitable for lifetime imaging processes in several samples, including monitoring charge carrier dynamics in perovskites or monitoring solid-state luminophores with a long lifetime of PL.
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13
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Zickus V, Wu ML, Morimoto K, Kapitany V, Fatima A, Turpin A, Insall R, Whitelaw J, Machesky L, Bruschini C, Faccio D, Charbon E. Fluorescence lifetime imaging with a megapixel SPAD camera and neural network lifetime estimation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20986. [PMID: 33268900 PMCID: PMC7710711 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77737-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a key technology that provides direct insight into cell metabolism, cell dynamics and protein activity. However, determining the lifetimes of different fluorescent proteins requires the detection of a relatively large number of photons, hence slowing down total acquisition times. Moreover, there are many cases, for example in studies of cell collectives, where wide-field imaging is desired. We report scan-less wide-field FLIM based on a 0.5 MP resolution, time-gated Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) camera, with acquisition rates up to 1 Hz. Fluorescence lifetime estimation is performed via a pre-trained artificial neural network with 1000-fold improvement in processing times compared to standard least squares fitting techniques. We utilised our system to image HT1080-human fibrosarcoma cell line as well as Convallaria. The results show promise for real-time FLIM and a viable route towards multi-megapixel fluorescence lifetime images, with a proof-of-principle mosaic image shown with 3.6 MP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vytautas Zickus
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Ming-Lo Wu
- Advanced Quantum Architecture Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Kazuhiro Morimoto
- Advanced Quantum Architecture Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Valentin Kapitany
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Areeba Fatima
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Alex Turpin
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
| | - Robert Insall
- University of Glasgow Institute of Cancer Sciences, Glasgow, UK.,Cancer Research UK, Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jamie Whitelaw
- University of Glasgow Institute of Cancer Sciences, Glasgow, UK.,Cancer Research UK, Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Laura Machesky
- University of Glasgow Institute of Cancer Sciences, Glasgow, UK.,Cancer Research UK, Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Claudio Bruschini
- Advanced Quantum Architecture Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Faccio
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Edoardo Charbon
- Advanced Quantum Architecture Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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14
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Di Sieno L, Behera A, Rohilla S, Ferocino E, Contini D, Torricelli A, Krämer B, Koberling F, Pifferi A, Mora AD. Probe-hosted large area silicon photomultiplier and high-throughput timing electronics for enhanced performance time-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 11:6389-6412. [PMID: 33282497 PMCID: PMC7687960 DOI: 10.1364/boe.400868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Two main bottlenecks prevent time-domain diffuse optics instruments to reach their maximum performances, namely the limited light harvesting capability of the detection chain and the bounded data throughput of the timing electronics. In this work, for the first time to our knowledge, we overcome both those limitations using a probe-hosted large area silicon photomultiplier detector coupled to high-throughput timing electronics. The system performances were assessed based on international protocols for diffuse optical imagers showing better figures with respect to a state-of-the-art device. As a first step towards applications, proof-of-principle in-vivo brain activation measurements demonstrated superior signal-to-noise ratio as compared to current technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Di Sieno
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - A. Behera
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - S. Rohilla
- PicoQuant Innovation GmbH, Rudower Chaussee 29, 12489 Berlin, Germany
- Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - E. Ferocino
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - D. Contini
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - A. Torricelli
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - B. Krämer
- PicoQuant GmbH, Rudower Chaussee 29, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - F. Koberling
- PicoQuant GmbH, Rudower Chaussee 29, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - A. Pifferi
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - A. Dalla Mora
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
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15
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Karpf S, Riche CT, Di Carlo D, Goel A, Zeiger WA, Suresh A, Portera-Cailliau C, Jalali B. Spectro-temporal encoded multiphoton microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging at kilohertz frame-rates. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2062. [PMID: 32346060 PMCID: PMC7188897 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15618-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-Photon Microscopy has become an invaluable tool for biological and medical research, providing high sensitivity, molecular specificity, inherent three-dimensional sub-cellular resolution and deep tissue penetration. In terms of imaging speeds, however, mechanical scanners still limit the acquisition rates to typically 10-100 frames per second. Here we present a high-speed non-linear microscope achieving kilohertz frame rates by employing pulse-modulated, rapidly wavelength-swept lasers and inertia-free beam steering through angular dispersion. In combination with a high bandwidth, single-photon sensitive detector, this enables recording of fluorescent lifetimes at speeds of 88 million pixels per second. We show high resolution, multi-modal - two-photon fluorescence and fluorescence lifetime (FLIM) - microscopy and imaging flow cytometry with a digitally reconfigurable laser, imaging system and data acquisition system. These high speeds should enable high-speed and high-throughput image-assisted cell sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Karpf
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computational Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA.
- Institute of Biomedical Optics (BMO), University of Luebeck, 23562, Luebeck, Germany.
| | - Carson T Riche
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
| | - Anubhuti Goel
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
| | - William A Zeiger
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
| | - Anand Suresh
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
| | - Carlos Portera-Cailliau
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
| | - Bahram Jalali
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computational Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA-90095, USA
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16
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Moon S, Park B, Won Y. Digital implementation of TCSPC. OPTICS LETTERS 2020; 45:1615-1618. [PMID: 32235956 DOI: 10.1364/ol.384461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We present a digital instrumentation method of time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC). The pulsed signal of a single-photon sensitive photodetector is digitized by a high-speed analog-to-digital converter and digitally processed for determination of the photon detection times. We found that our digitally implemented TCSPC (dTCSPC) provides a smart way of discriminating valid photon pulses for the reliable measurement of fluorescence lifetimes and time-resolved spectroscopy.
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17
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Levitt JA, Poland SP, Krstajic N, Pfisterer K, Erdogan A, Barber PR, Parsons M, Henderson RK, Ameer-Beg SM. Quantitative real-time imaging of intracellular FRET biosensor dynamics using rapid multi-beam confocal FLIM. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5146. [PMID: 32198437 PMCID: PMC7083966 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61478-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is a quantitative, intensity-independent microscopical method for measurement of diverse biochemical and physical properties in cell biology. It is a highly effective method for measurements of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and for quantification of protein-protein interactions in cells. Time-domain FLIM-FRET measurements of these dynamic interactions are particularly challenging, since the technique requires excellent photon statistics to derive experimental parameters from the complex decay kinetics often observed from fluorophores in living cells. Here we present a new time-domain multi-confocal FLIM instrument with an array of 64 visible beamlets to achieve parallelised excitation and detection with average excitation powers of ~ 1–2 μW per beamlet. We exemplify this instrument with up to 0.5 frames per second time-lapse FLIM measurements of cAMP levels using an Epac-based fluorescent biosensor in live HeLa cells with nanometer spatial and picosecond temporal resolution. We demonstrate the use of time-dependent phasor plots to determine parameterisation for multi-exponential decay fitting to monitor the fractional contribution of the activated conformation of the biosensor. Our parallelised confocal approach avoids having to compromise on speed, noise, accuracy in lifetime measurements and provides powerful means to quantify biochemical dynamics in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Levitt
- Microscopy Innovation Centre, Guy's Campus, Kings College, London, SE1 1UL, UK.,Richard Dimbleby Laboratories, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, Kings College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Simon P Poland
- Richard Dimbleby Laboratories, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, Kings College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Nikola Krstajic
- Institute for Microelectronics and Nanosystems, School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FB, UK
| | - Karin Pfisterer
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Guy's Campus, Kings College, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Ahmet Erdogan
- Institute for Microelectronics and Nanosystems, School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FB, UK
| | - Paul R Barber
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Maddy Parsons
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Guy's Campus, Kings College, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Robert K Henderson
- Institute for Microelectronics and Nanosystems, School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FB, UK
| | - Simon M Ameer-Beg
- Richard Dimbleby Laboratories, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, Kings College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
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18
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Wang S, Chacko JV, Sagar AK, Eliceiri KW, Yuan M. Nonparametric empirical Bayesian framework for fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:5497-5517. [PMID: 31799027 PMCID: PMC6865096 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.005497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful imaging tool used to study the molecular environment of flurophores. In time domain FLIM, extracting lifetime from fluorophores signals entails fitting data to a decaying exponential distribution function. However, most existing techniques for this purpose need large amounts of photons at each pixel and a long computation time, thus making it difficult to obtain reliable inference in applications requiring either short acquisition or minimal computation time. In this work, we introduce a new nonparametric empirical Bayesian framework for FLIM data analysis (NEB-FLIM), leading to both improved pixel-wise lifetime estimation and a more robust and computationally efficient integral property inference. This framework is developed based on a newly proposed hierarchical statistical model for FLIM data and adopts a novel nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator to estimate the prior distribution. To demonstrate the merit of the proposed framework, we applied it on both simulated and real biological datasets and compared it with previous classical methods on these datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulei Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jenu V Chacko
- Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Abdul K Sagar
- Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kevin W Eliceiri
- Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ming Yuan
- Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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19
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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: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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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20
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Maccarone A, Mattioli Della Rocca F, McCarthy A, Henderson R, Buller GS. Three-dimensional imaging of stationary and moving targets in turbid underwater environments using a single-photon detector array. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:28437-28456. [PMID: 31684596 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.028437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional imaging in underwater environments was investigated using a picosecond resolution silicon single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector array fabricated in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Each detector in the 192 × 128 SPAD array had an individual time-to-digital converter allowing rapid, simultaneous acquisition of data for the entire array using the time-correlated single-photon counting approach. A picosecond pulsed laser diode source operating at a wavelength of 670 nm was used to illuminate the underwater scenes, emitting an average optical power up to 8 mW. Both stationary and moving targets were imaged under a variety of underwater scattering conditions. The acquisition of depth and intensity videos of moving targets was demonstrated in dark laboratory conditions through scattering water, equivalent to having up to 6.7 attenuation lengths between the transceiver and target. Data were analyzed using a pixel-wise approach, as well as an image processing algorithm based on a median filter and polynomial approximation.
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21
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Bruschini C, Homulle H, Antolovic IM, Burri S, Charbon E. Single-photon avalanche diode imagers in biophotonics: review and outlook. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2019; 8:87. [PMID: 31645931 PMCID: PMC6804596 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-019-0191-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays are solid-state detectors that offer imaging capabilities at the level of individual photons, with unparalleled photon counting and time-resolved performance. This fascinating technology has progressed at a very fast pace in the past 15 years, since its inception in standard CMOS technology in 2003. A host of architectures have been investigated, ranging from simpler implementations, based solely on off-chip data processing, to progressively "smarter" sensors including on-chip, or even pixel level, time-stamping and processing capabilities. As the technology has matured, a range of biophotonics applications have been explored, including (endoscopic) FLIM, (multibeam multiphoton) FLIM-FRET, SPIM-FCS, super-resolution microscopy, time-resolved Raman spectroscopy, NIROT and PET. We will review some representative sensors and their corresponding applications, including the most relevant challenges faced by chip designers and end-users. Finally, we will provide an outlook on the future of this fascinating technology.
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22
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Trinh AL, Ber S, Howitt A, Valls PO, Fries MW, Venkitaraman AR, Esposito A. Fast single-cell biochemistry: theory, open source microscopy and applications. Methods Appl Fluoresc 2019; 7:044001. [PMID: 31422954 PMCID: PMC7000240 DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/ab3bd2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime sensing enables researchers to probe the physicochemical environment of a fluorophore providing a window through which we can observe the complex molecular make-up of the cell. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) quantifies and maps cell biochemistry, a complex ensemble of dynamic processes. Unfortunately, typical high-resolution FLIM systems exhibit rather limited acquisition speeds, often insufficient to capture the time evolution of biochemical processes in living cells. Here, we describe the theoretical background that justifies the developments of high-speed single photon counting systems. We show that systems with low dead-times not only result in faster acquisition throughputs but also improved dynamic range and spatial resolution. We also share the implementation of hardware and software as an open platform, show applications of fast FLIM biochemical imaging on living cells and discuss strategies to balance precision and accuracy in FLIM. The recent innovations and commercialisation of fast time-domain FLIM systems are likely to popularise FLIM within the biomedical community, to impact biomedical research positively and to foster the adoption of other FLIM techniques as well. While supporting and indeed pursuing these developments, with this work we also aim to warn the community about the possible shortcomings of fast single photon counting techniques and to highlight strategies to acquire data of high quality.
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23
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Multispectral Depth-Resolved Fluorescence Lifetime Spectroscopy Using SPAD Array Detectors and Fiber Probes. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19122678. [PMID: 31200569 PMCID: PMC6631026 DOI: 10.3390/s19122678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) arrays are increasingly exploited and have demonstrated potential in biochemical and biomedical research, both for imaging and single-point spectroscopy applications. In this study, we explore the application of SPADs together with fiber-optic-based delivery and collection geometry to realize fast and simultaneous single-point time-, spectral-, and depth-resolved fluorescence measurements at 375 nm excitation light. Spectral information is encoded across the columns of the array through grating-based dispersion, while depth information is encoded across the rows thanks to a linear arrangement of probe collecting fibers. The initial characterization and validation were realized against layered fluorescent agarose-based phantoms. To verify the practicality and feasibility of this approach in biological specimens, we measured the fluorescence signature of formalin-fixed rabbit aorta samples derived from an animal model of atherosclerosis. The initial results demonstrate that this detection configuration can report fluorescence spectral and lifetime contrast originating at different depths within the specimens. We believe that our optical scheme, based on SPAD array detectors and fiber-optic probes, constitute a powerful and versatile approach for the deployment of multidimensional fluorescence spectroscopy in clinical applications where information from deeper tissue layers is important for diagnosis.
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24
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Pedretti E, Tanner MG, Choudhary TR, Krstajić N, Megia-Fernandez A, Henderson RK, Bradley M, Thomson RR, Girkin JM, Dhaliwal K, Dalgarno PA. High-speed dual color fluorescence lifetime endomicroscopy for highly-multiplexed pulmonary diagnostic applications and detection of labeled bacteria. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:181-195. [PMID: 30775092 PMCID: PMC6363193 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.000181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We present a dual-color laser scanning endomicroscope capable of fluorescence lifetime endomicroscopy at one frame per second (FPS). The scanning system uses a coherent imaging fiber with 30,000 cores. High-speed lifetime imaging is achieved by distributing the signal over an array of 1024 parallel single-photon avalanche diode detectors (SPADs), minimizing detection dead-time maximizing the number of photons detected per excitation pulse without photon pile-up to achieve the high frame rate. This also enables dual color fluorescence imaging by temporally shifting the dual excitation lasers, with respect to each other, to separate the two spectrally distinct fluorescent decays in time. Combining the temporal encoding, to provide spectral separation, with lifetime measurements we show a one FPS, multi-channel endomicroscopy platform for clinical applications and diagnosis. We demonstrate the potential of the system by imaging SmartProbe labeled bacteria in ex vivo samples of human lung using lifetime to differentiate bacterial fluorescence from the strong background lung autofluorescence which was used to provide structural information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettore Pedretti
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS,
UK
- EPSRC Proteus Hub, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ,
UK
- Currently with the Leibniz-Institute für Astrophysik Potsdam, Potsdam,
Germany
| | - Michael G. Tanner
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS,
UK
- EPSRC Proteus Hub, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ,
UK
| | - Tushar R. Choudhary
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS,
UK
- EPSRC Proteus Hub, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ,
UK
| | - Nikola Krstajić
- EPSRC Proteus Hub, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ,
UK
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF,
UK
- Currently with the University of Dundee, School of Science and Engineering, Dundee,
UK
| | | | - Robert K. Henderson
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF,
UK
| | - Mark Bradley
- EPSRC Proteus Hub, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ,
UK
- EaStChem, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ,
UK
| | - Robert R. Thomson
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS,
UK
- EPSRC Proteus Hub, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ,
UK
| | - John M. Girkin
- Department of Physics, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE,
UK
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- EPSRC Proteus Hub, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ,
UK
| | - Paul A. Dalgarno
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS,
UK
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25
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Ren X, Altmann Y, Tobin R, Mccarthy A, Mclaughlin S, Buller GS. Wavelength-time coding for multispectral 3D imaging using single-photon LiDAR. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:30146-30161. [PMID: 30469893 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.030146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Single-photon multispectral light detection and ranging (LiDAR) approaches have emerged as a route to color reconstruction and enhanced target identification in photon-starved imaging scenarios. In this paper, we present a three-dimensional imaging system based on a time-of-flight approach which is capable of simultaneous multispectral measurements using only one single-photon detector. Unlike other techniques, this approach does not require a wavelength router in the receiver channel. By observing multiple wavelengths at each spatial location, or per pixel (four discrete visible wavelengths are used in this work), we can obtain a single waveform with wavelength-to-time mapped peaks. The time-mapped peaks are created by the known chromatic group delay dispersion in the laser source's optical fiber, resulting in temporal separations between these peaks being in the region of 200 to 1000 ps, in this case. A multispectral single waveform algorithm was proposed to fit these multiple peaked LiDAR waveforms, and then reconstruct the color (spectral response) and depth profiles for the entire image. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first dedicated computational method operating in the photon-starved regime capable of discriminating multiple peaks associated with different wavelengths in a single pixel waveform and reconstructing spectral responses and depth.
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26
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Hu J, Jing M, Zhang G, Qin C, Xiao L, Jia S. Performance of single-photons communication using the multi-channel frequency coding scheme. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:20835-20847. [PMID: 30119387 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.020835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, optical communication at the single-photon level is experimentally demonstrated by using a multi-channel frequency coding scheme in which the information is decoded by using the single-photons modulation spectrum. By using the modulation spectrum, the coding scheme could work normally in a channel with high loss and noise. Besides, multiple modulation frequency components could be used in a wide bandwidth regardless of frequency aliasing; therefore, the multi-channel frequency coding scheme makes it possible for high-capacity single-photons communication.
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27
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Phasor-Based Endogenous NAD(P)H Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Unravels Specific Enzymatic Activity of Neutrophil Granulocytes Preceding NETosis. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19041018. [PMID: 29596303 PMCID: PMC5979388 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19041018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-correlated single-photon counting combined with multi-photon laser scanning microscopy has proven to be a versatile tool to perform fluorescence lifetime imaging in biological samples and, thus, shed light on cellular functions, both in vitro and in vivo. Here, by means of phasor-analyzed endogenous NAD(P)H (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate)) fluorescence lifetime imaging, we visualize the shift in the cellular metabolism of healthy human neutrophil granulocytes during phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus pHrodo™ beads. We correlate this with the process of NETosis, i.e., trapping of pathogens by DNA networks. Hence, we are able to directly show the dynamics of NADPH oxidase activation and its requirement in triggering NETosis in contrast to other pathways of cell death and to decipher the dedicated spatio-temporal sequence between NADPH oxidase activation, nuclear membrane disintegration and DNA network formation. The endogenous FLIM approach presented here uniquely meets the increasing need in the field of immunology to monitor cellular metabolism as a basic mechanism of cellular and tissue functions.
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28
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Skilitsi AI, Turko T, Cianfarani D, Barre S, Uhring W, Hassiepen U, Léonard J. Towards sensitive, high-throughput, biomolecular assays based on fluorescence lifetime. Methods Appl Fluoresc 2017; 5:034002. [PMID: 28699919 DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/aa7f66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Time-resolved fluorescence detection for robust sensing of biomolecular interactions is developed by implementing time-correlated single photon counting in high-throughput conditions. Droplet microfluidics is used as a promising platform for the very fast handling of low-volume samples. We illustrate the potential of this very sensitive and cost-effective technology in the context of an enzymatic activity assay based on fluorescently-labeled biomolecules. Fluorescence lifetime detection by time-correlated single photon counting is shown to enable reliable discrimination between positive and negative control samples at a throughput as high as several hundred samples per second.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Ioanna Skilitsi
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR 7504, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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Tanner MG, Choudhary TR, Craven TH, Mills B, Bradley M, Henderson RK, Dhaliwal K, Thomson RR. Ballistic and snake photon imaging for locating optical endomicroscopy fibres. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 8:4077-4095. [PMID: 28966848 PMCID: PMC5611924 DOI: 10.1364/boe.8.004077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate determination of the location of the distal-end of a fibre-optic device deep in tissue through the imaging of ballistic and snake photons using a time resolved single-photon detector array. The fibre was imaged with centimetre resolution, within clinically relevant settings and models. This technique can overcome the limitations imposed by tissue scattering in optically determining the in vivo location of fibre-optic medical instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. G. Tanner
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
- EPSRC IRC Hub, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - T. R. Choudhary
- EPSRC IRC Hub, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - T. H. Craven
- EPSRC IRC Hub, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - B. Mills
- EPSRC IRC Hub, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - M. Bradley
- EPSRC IRC Hub, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - R. K. Henderson
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK
| | - K. Dhaliwal
- EPSRC IRC Hub, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - R. R. Thomson
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
- EPSRC IRC Hub, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
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30
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Lagarto J, Hares JD, Dunsby C, French PMW. Development of Low-Cost Instrumentation for Single Point Autofluorescence Lifetime Measurements. J Fluoresc 2017; 27:1643-1654. [PMID: 28540652 PMCID: PMC5583312 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-017-2101-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Autofluorescence lifetime measurements, which can provide label-free readouts in biological tissues, contrasting e.g. different types and states of tissue matrix components and different cellular metabolites, may have significant clinical potential for diagnosis and to provide surgical guidance. However, the cost of the instrumentation typically used currently presents a barrier to wider implementation. We describe a low-cost single point time-resolved autofluorescence instrument, exploiting modulated laser diodes for excitation and FPGA-based circuitry for detection, together with a custom constant fraction discriminator. Its temporal accuracy is compared against a "gold-standard" instrument incorporating commercial TCSPC circuitry by resolving the fluorescence decays of reference fluorophores presenting single and double exponential decay profiles. To illustrate the potential to read out intrinsic contrast in tissue, we present preliminary measurements of autofluorescence lifetime measurements of biological tissues ex vivo. We believe that the lower cost of this instrument could enhance the potential of autofluorescence lifetime metrology for clinical deployment and commercial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Lagarto
- Photonics Group, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Jonathan D Hares
- Kentech Instruments Ltd., Howbery Park, Wallingford, OX10 8BD, UK
| | - Christopher Dunsby
- Photonics Group, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Paul M W French
- Photonics Group, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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31
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Peronio P, Labanca I, Acconcia G, Ruggeri A, Lavdas AA, Hicks AA, Pramstaller PP, Ghioni M, Rech I. 32-channel time-correlated-single-photon-counting system for high-throughput lifetime imaging. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2017; 88:083704. [PMID: 28863689 DOI: 10.1063/1.4986049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) is a very efficient technique for measuring weak and fast optical signals, but it is mainly limited by the relatively "long" measurement time. Multichannel systems have been developed in recent years aiming to overcome this limitation by managing several detectors or TCSPC devices in parallel. Nevertheless, if we look at state-of-the-art systems, there is still a strong trade-off between the parallelism level and performance: the higher the number of channels, the poorer the performance. In 2013, we presented a complete and compact 32 × 1 TCSPC system, composed of an array of 32 single-photon avalanche diodes connected to 32 time-to-amplitude converters, which showed that it was possible to overcome the existing trade-off. In this paper, we present an evolution of the previous work that is conceived for high-throughput fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. This application can be addressed by the new system thanks to a centralized logic, fast data management and an interface to a microscope. The new conceived hardware structure is presented, as well as the firmware developed to manage the operation of the module. Finally, preliminary results, obtained from the practical application of the technology, are shown to validate the developed system.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Peronio
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - I Labanca
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - G Acconcia
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - A Ruggeri
- Micro Photon Devices S.R.L., via Stradivari 4, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - A A Lavdas
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - A A Hicks
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - P P Pramstaller
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - M Ghioni
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - I Rech
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
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32
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SPAD imagers for super resolution localization microscopy enable analysis of fast fluorophore blinking. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44108. [PMID: 28287122 PMCID: PMC5347095 DOI: 10.1038/srep44108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
sCMOS imagers are currently utilized (replacing EMCCD imagers) to increase the acquisition speed in super resolution localization microscopy. Single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) imagers feature frame rates per bit depth comparable to or higher than sCMOS imagers, while generating microsecond 1-bit-frames without readout noise, thus paving the way to in-depth time-resolved image analysis. High timing resolution can also be exploited to explore fluorescent dye blinking and other photophysical properties, which can be used for dye optimization. We present the methodology for the blinking analysis of fluorescent dyes on experimental data. Furthermore, the recent use of microlenses has enabled a substantial increase of SPAD imager overall sensitivity (12-fold in our case), reaching satisfactory values for sensitivity-critical applications. This has allowed us to record the first super resolution localization microscopy results obtained with a SPAD imager, with a localization uncertainty of 20 nm and a resolution of 80 nm.
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Chandrasekharan HK, Izdebski F, Gris-Sánchez I, Krstajić N, Walker R, Bridle HL, Dalgarno PA, MacPherson WN, Henderson RK, Birks TA, Thomson RR. Multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14080. [PMID: 28120822 PMCID: PMC5288496 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
When an optical pulse propagates along an optical fibre, different wavelengths travel at different group velocities. As a result, wavelength information is converted into arrival-time information, a process known as wavelength-to-time mapping. This phenomenon is most cleanly observed using a single-mode fibre transmission line, where spatial mode dispersion is not present, but the use of such fibres restricts possible applications. Here we demonstrate that photonic lanterns based on tapered single-mode multicore fibres provide an efficient way to couple multimode light to an array of single-photon avalanche detectors, each of which has its own time-to-digital converter for time-correlated single-photon counting. Exploiting this capability, we demonstrate the multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light using a multicore fibre photonic lantern with 121 single-mode cores, coupled to 121 detectors on a 32 × 32 detector array. This work paves the way to efficient multimode wavelength-to-time mapping systems with the spectral performance of single-mode systems. Photonic lanterns are made by merging several single-mode cores into one multimode core. Here, the authors show this type of structure can both perform wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode states of light and couple such light to an array of single-photon avalanche detectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harikumar K Chandrasekharan
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Frauke Izdebski
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | | | - Nikola Krstajić
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Richard Walker
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Helen L Bridle
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Paul A Dalgarno
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - William N MacPherson
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Robert K Henderson
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Tim A Birks
- Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Robert R Thomson
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
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Hirvonen LM, Fisher-Levine M, Suhling K, Nomerotski A. Photon counting phosphorescence lifetime imaging with TimepixCam. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2017; 88:013104. [PMID: 28147700 DOI: 10.1063/1.4973717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
TimepixCam is a novel fast optical imager based on an optimized silicon pixel sensor with a thin entrance window and read out by a Timepix Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The 256 × 256 pixel sensor has a time resolution of 15 ns at a sustained frame rate of 10 Hz. We used this sensor in combination with an image intensifier for wide-field time-correlated single photon counting imaging. We have characterised the photon detection capabilities of this detector system and employed it on a wide-field epifluorescence microscope to map phosphorescence decays of various iridium complexes with lifetimes of about 1 μs in 200 μm diameter polystyrene beads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa M Hirvonen
- 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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35
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Characterization of SPAD Array for Multifocal High-Content Screening Applications. PHOTONICS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/photonics3040056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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36
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Pifferi A, Contini D, Mora AD, Farina A, Spinelli L, Torricelli A. New frontiers in time-domain diffuse optics, a review. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2016; 21:091310. [PMID: 27311627 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.21.9.091310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The recent developments in time-domain diffuse optics that rely on physical concepts (e.g., time-gating and null distance) and advanced photonic components (e.g., vertical cavity source-emitting laser as light sources, single photon avalanche diode, and silicon photomultipliers as detectors, fast-gating circuits, and time-to-digital converters for acquisition) are focused. This study shows how these tools could lead on one hand to compact and wearable time-domain devices for point-of-care diagnostics down to the consumer level and on the other hand to powerful systems with exceptional depth penetration and sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Pifferi
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, ItalybIstituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale per le Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Davide Contini
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Alberto Dalla Mora
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Andrea Farina
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale per le Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Spinelli
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale per le Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Alessandro Torricelli
- Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, ItalybIstituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale per le Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan I-20133, Italy
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37
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Hirvonen LM, Suhling K. Photon Counting Imaging with an Electron-Bombarded Pixel Image Sensor. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2016; 16:E617. [PMID: 27136556 PMCID: PMC4883308 DOI: 10.3390/s16050617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Electron-bombarded pixel image sensors, where a single photoelectron is accelerated directly into a CCD or CMOS sensor, allow wide-field imaging at extremely low light levels as they are sensitive enough to detect single photons. This technology allows the detection of up to hundreds or thousands of photon events per frame, depending on the sensor size, and photon event centroiding can be employed to recover resolution lost in the detection process. Unlike photon events from electron-multiplying sensors, the photon events from electron-bombarded sensors have a narrow, acceleration-voltage-dependent pulse height distribution. Thus a gain voltage sweep during exposure in an electron-bombarded sensor could allow photon arrival time determination from the pulse height with sub-frame exposure time resolution. We give a brief overview of our work with electron-bombarded pixel image sensor technology and recent developments in this field for single photon counting imaging, and examples of some applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa M Hirvonen
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
| | - Klaus Suhling
- Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
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38
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Walsh AJ, Sharick JT, Skala MC, Beier HT. Temporal binning of time-correlated single photon counting data improves exponential decay fits and imaging speed. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2016; 7:1385-99. [PMID: 27446663 PMCID: PMC4929649 DOI: 10.1364/boe.7.001385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) enables acquisition of fluorescence lifetime decays with high temporal resolution within the fluorescence decay. However, many thousands of photons per pixel are required for accurate lifetime decay curve representation, instrument response deconvolution, and lifetime estimation, particularly for two-component lifetimes. TCSPC imaging speed is inherently limited due to the single photon per laser pulse nature and low fluorescence event efficiencies (<10%) required to reduce bias towards short lifetimes. Here, simulated fluorescence lifetime decays are analyzed by SPCImage and SLIM Curve software to determine the limiting lifetime parameters and photon requirements of fluorescence lifetime decays that can be accurately fit. Data analysis techniques to improve fitting accuracy for low photon count data were evaluated. Temporal binning of the decays from 256 time bins to 42 time bins significantly (p<0.0001) improved fit accuracy in SPCImage and enabled accurate fits with low photon counts (as low as 700 photons/decay), a 6-fold reduction in required photons and therefore improvement in imaging speed. Additionally, reducing the number of free parameters in the fitting algorithm by fixing the lifetimes to known values significantly reduced the lifetime component error from 27.3% to 3.2% in SPCImage (p<0.0001) and from 50.6% to 4.2% in SLIM Curve (p<0.0001). Analysis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-lactate dehydrogenase (NADH-LDH) solutions confirmed temporal binning of TCSPC data and a reduced number of free parameters improves exponential decay fit accuracy in SPCImage. Altogether, temporal binning (in SPCImage) and reduced free parameters are data analysis techniques that enable accurate lifetime estimation from low photon count data and enable TCSPC imaging speeds up to 6x and 300x faster, respectively, than traditional TCSPC analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Walsh
- National Research Council, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 78234, USA
- 711th Human Performance Wing, Human Effectiveness Directorate, Bioeffects Division, Optical Radiation Bioeffects Branch, Air Force Research Lab, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 78234, USA
| | - Joe T. Sharick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37235, USA
| | - Melissa C. Skala
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37235, USA
| | - Hope T. Beier
- 711th Human Performance Wing, Human Effectiveness Directorate, Bioeffects Division, Optical Radiation Bioeffects Branch, Air Force Research Lab, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 78234, USA
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