Frequency-domain light detection device
AssigneeLJL BioSystems, Inc.
InventorsTodd E. French, David P. Stumbo, Douglas N. Modlin
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for determining temporal properties of photoluminescent samples using frequency-domain photoluminescence measurements, where the measurements may include photon counting and/or the separation of measured luminescence into potentially overlapping time bins.
Claims36
A method for measuring a temporal property of a luminescent sample, the method comprising:
- illuminating the sample with intensity-modulated incident light, where the modulation is characterized by a characteristic time;
- detecting luminescence emitted from the sample in response to the illumination with incident light;
- counting the number of photons in the detected luminescence during a preselected portion of the characteristic time;
- computing a frequency-domain quantity based on the number of counted photons;
- and
- determining the temporal property based on the frequency-domain quantity.
An apparatus for measuring a temporal property of a luminescent sample, the apparatus comprising:
- a light source for producing intensity-modulated excitation light;
- an excitation optical relay structure that directs the intensity-modulated excitation light toward the sample, so that the sample may be induced to emit intensity-modulated emission light;
- a detector for detecting light;
- an emission optical relay structure that directs light from the sample toward the detector, so that intensity-modulated emission light from the sample may be detected;
- and
- a discrete analyzer operatively connected to the detector, where the analyzer includes a counter that determines the number of photons in the detected emission light, and where the analyzer determines the temporal property based on a frequency-domain quantity computed from the number of photons.
A method for measuring a temporal property of a luminescent sample, the method comprising:
- illuminating the sample with intensity-modulated incident light capable of exciting luminescence in the sample, where the modulation of the intensity-modulated light is characterized by a characteristic time;
- measuring luminescence emitted from the sample during first and second preselected portions of the characteristic time, where the first and second portions overlap;
- and
- determining the temporal property based on the measured luminescence during the first and second portions.
An apparatus for measuring a temporal property of a luminescent sample, the apparatus comprising:
- a light source for producing intensity-modulated excitation light;
- an excitation optical relay structure that directs the intensity-modulated excitation light toward the sample, so that the sample may be induced to emit intensity-modulated emission light;
- a detector for detecting light;
- an emission optical relay structure that directs light from the sample toward the detector, so that intensity-modulated emission light from the sample may be detected;
- and
- a discrete analyzer operatively connected to the detector, where the analyzer is configured to measure light emitted from the sample during overlapping intervals and to determine the temporal property based on the measured light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.