Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Study
Fast fluorescence lifetime (FL) determination is a major factor for studying dynamic processes. To achieve a required precision and accuracy a certain number of photon counts must be detected. FL methods based on single-photon counting have strongly limited count rates because of the detector’s pile...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/10/3822 |
| _version_ | 1797495688381071360 |
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| author | Alexander Netaev Nicolas Schierbaum Karsten Seidl |
| author_facet | Alexander Netaev Nicolas Schierbaum Karsten Seidl |
| author_sort | Alexander Netaev |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fast fluorescence lifetime (FL) determination is a major factor for studying dynamic processes. To achieve a required precision and accuracy a certain number of photon counts must be detected. FL methods based on single-photon counting have strongly limited count rates because of the detector’s pile-up issue and are suffering from long measurement times in the order of tens of seconds. Here, we present an experimental and Monte Carlo simulation-based study of how this limitation can be overcome using array detectors based on single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). We investigated the maximum count rate per pixel to determine FL with a certain precision and accuracy before pile-up occurs. Based on that, we derived an analytical expression to calculate the total measurement time which is proportional to the FL and inversely proportional to the number of pixels. However, a higher number of pixels drastically increases data rate. This can be counteracted by lowering the time resolution. We found that even with a time resolution of four times the FL, an accuracy of 10% can be achieved. Taken all together, FLs between 10 ns and 3 ns can be determined with a 300-pixel SPAD array detector with a measurement time and data rate less than 1 µs and 700 Mbit/s, respectively. This shows the enormous potential of SPAD array detector for high-speed applications requiring continuous data read out. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:53:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-af35d5b4f352408d94a44e66ae0dbd02 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:53:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-af35d5b4f352408d94a44e66ae0dbd022023-11-23T13:01:49ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202022-05-012210382210.3390/s22103822Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental StudyAlexander Netaev0Nicolas Schierbaum1Karsten Seidl2Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, 47057 Duisburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, 47057 Duisburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, 47057 Duisburg, GermanyFast fluorescence lifetime (FL) determination is a major factor for studying dynamic processes. To achieve a required precision and accuracy a certain number of photon counts must be detected. FL methods based on single-photon counting have strongly limited count rates because of the detector’s pile-up issue and are suffering from long measurement times in the order of tens of seconds. Here, we present an experimental and Monte Carlo simulation-based study of how this limitation can be overcome using array detectors based on single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). We investigated the maximum count rate per pixel to determine FL with a certain precision and accuracy before pile-up occurs. Based on that, we derived an analytical expression to calculate the total measurement time which is proportional to the FL and inversely proportional to the number of pixels. However, a higher number of pixels drastically increases data rate. This can be counteracted by lowering the time resolution. We found that even with a time resolution of four times the FL, an accuracy of 10% can be achieved. Taken all together, FLs between 10 ns and 3 ns can be determined with a 300-pixel SPAD array detector with a measurement time and data rate less than 1 µs and 700 Mbit/s, respectively. This shows the enormous potential of SPAD array detector for high-speed applications requiring continuous data read out.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/10/3822SPADfluorescence lifetimepile-upMonte Carlodetector array |
| spellingShingle | Alexander Netaev Nicolas Schierbaum Karsten Seidl Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Study Sensors SPAD fluorescence lifetime pile-up Monte Carlo detector array |
| title | Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Study |
| title_full | Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Study |
| title_fullStr | Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Study |
| title_short | Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Using Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Array Detector: A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Study |
| title_sort | advantages and limitations of fluorescence lifetime measurements using single photon avalanche diode spad array detector a comprehensive theoretical and experimental study |
| topic | SPAD fluorescence lifetime pile-up Monte Carlo detector array |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/10/3822 |
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