New Version of Lambert Instruments Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging System, LIFA

Photon Lines Ltd is pleased to announce the availability of a new version of their partner Lambert Instruments’ LIFA system, the LIFA-X.

This new addition to the popular LIFA series has the ability to resolve lifetimes from 0.1 ns up to 1 ms (phosphorescence) making it well suited for new fluorescence lifetime applications, including the measurement of oxygen concentrations using optodes or reactive oxygen species in cells.

The standard LIFA system is capable of measuring lifetimes from 0.1 ns to 1000 ns with a temporal resolution of 80 ps, and is an ideal technique for FRET analysis, in the study of protein interactions. In the case of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer, or FRET, the emission energy is transferred to an acceptor molecule instead of being released as a photon (emission). FRET effectively reduces the decay time, or lifetime, of the donor emission.

By using LIFA, mounted to a widefield microscope, it is possible to observe the whole field of view simultaneously, and measure this reduction in lifetime, pixel-by-pixel. The standard LIFA, a set-up with modulation of both the excitation light and detector sensitivity, can be used for modulation frequencies from 100 kHz to 80 MHz with LED as a light source. In addition, modulation frequencies up to 120 MHz are feasible by using optional high contrast ratio modulated laser diodes.

As stated, this frequency range is adequate for the measurement of lifetimes from 0.1 ns to 1000 ns with a temporal resolution of 80 ps and there are many LIFA systems installed in microscopy facilities around the world. The new LIFA-X (extended range) version of LIFA uses a modified (gated) image intensifier to allow frequencies of 1 kHz to 100 kHz to be supported, allowing the above lifetime range (0.1 ns to 1 ms) to be measured.