Signal-to-noise characterization of time-gated intensifiers used for wide-field time-domain FLIM

Time-gated imaging using gated optical intensifiers provides a means to realize high speed fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) for the study of fast events and for high throughput imaging. We present a signal-to-noise characterization of CCD-coupled micro-channel plate gated intensifiers used with this technique and determine the optimal acquisition parameters (intensifier gain voltage, CCD integration time and frame averaging) for measuring mono-exponential fluorescence lifetimes in the shortest image acquisition time for a given signal flux. We explore the use of unequal CCD integration times for different gate delays and show that this can improve the lifetime accuracy for a given total acquisition time.