Patent ID: 6740890
Filing Date: 2004-05-25
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting time-resolved fluorescence of a material, comprising:a pulsed light source; a charge coupled device (CCD) with rows and columns of light sensitive pixels; a material interposed between the pulsed light source and the CCD, said material having a decaying fluorescence property to be measured responsive to exposure to the pulsed light source; a mask with at least a light-transmission aperture interposed between the material and the CCD, said mask exposing less than 50% of light sensitive pixels of the CCD and said aperture exposing at least a selected pixel on the CCD; and means for transferring charge in the CCD from the selected pixel to another pixel with a known temporal relationship between the light pulse emitted by the pulsed light source and the charge transfer.