The Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Controller SCX 200 is an accessory for the TimeHarp 200 time-correlated single photon counting board. The product allows researchers to connect a high resolution 2-D piezo scanner and collect fluorescence lifetime data synchronous with high speed scanning. Scan and data acquisition in Time-Tagged Time Resolved (TTTR) mode are driven from the same 100 nanosecond clock, while at the same time picosecond timing is performed on laser induced fluorescence photons. This allows to acquire fluorescence lifetime images with picosecond lifetime resolution and nanometer spatial resolution.

Fluorescence Lifetime Image of mouse retina cells
Image courtesy of F. Müller, I. Gregor, J. Enderlein (IBI-1, FZ Jülich)

The scan controller is connected to the TimeHarps' general purpose control port and delivers the control voltages for the scan controller via BNC cables. An auxillary port is available to control a shutter or switchable lasers to avoid unnecessary bleaching of fluorescent dye molecules. The piezo control voltages can be customized for various piezo stages.

Scanning (pixel size, timing, area, etc.) is controlled via the TimeHarp system software. The 32-bit software is available for Windows™ ME, 2000 and XP and provides vast functionality combined with exceptional ease of use. A driver library and demo code for custom programming is available and supports all modern 32-bit programming environments, e.g. C, Delphi™ and the popular LabVIEV™.