Prime BSI™ Scientific CMOS Camera Datasheet
CMOS, EMCCD AND CCD CAMERAS FOR LIFE SCIENCES

High Resolution BSI Scientific CMOS
Prime BSI delivers the perfect balance between high resolution
imaging and sensitivity with an optimized pixel design and near
perfect 95% Quantum Efficiency to maximize signal detection.
A 4 Megapixel camera with 6.5μm pixels, it captures highly detailed
images with great quality while acquiring data at high frame rates.
This ensures that all data is collected and no event goes undetected.

Primary applications:
TIRF Microscopy

Prime BSI delivers a 100% pixel fill factor and does not rely on
micro-lensing technology to increase detection, resulting in a 30%
increase in sensitivity over previous sCMOS cameras.

Ratiometric Imaging
Cell Motility
Light Sheet Microscopy

This perfect balance in performance makes the Prime BSI the mostversatile imaging camera for live-cell imaging with:

95% Quantum Efficiency
Highest Sensitivity

6.5µm x 6.5µm Pixel Area

High Resolution

1.1e- Read Noise (median)

Large Field of View

43.5 fps @ 16-bit

High Frame Rates

PrimeEnhance increases SNR 3-5X

Large Dynamic RangeFeaturesAdvantages

High Quantum Efficiency
95% Peak QE

Maximizes ability to detect weak signals, enables short exposure times for high frame rates, minimizes phototoxicity
across a wide range of wavelengths

Optimized 6.5µm Pixel Size

Maximize light collection while maintaining proper spatial sampling at 60X

Extremely Low Read Noise

Maximize your ability to detect faint fluorescence

Fast Frame Rates

Capture highly dynamic events with high temporal resolution

Large Field of View

Maximize the number of cells that can be tracked and monitored per frame

PrimeEnhance™

Real-time quantitative denoising algorithm that improves image clarity by reducing photon-shot (Poisson) noise.
Delivers an increase in Peak Signal to Noise Ratio of 3X to 5X

PrimeLocate™

Dynamically evaluates and acquires only the relevant data for localization based super-resolution applications

Enhanced Dynamic Range

Measure both bright and dim signal levels within the same image
41,000:1 Dynamic Range (92 dB)

Multiple Expose Out Triggering

Control up to four light sources for multi-wavelength acquisitions

SMART Streaming™

Faster acquisition rates with variable exposures, ideal for multi-probed live cell imaging
Compatible with Multiple Expose Out Triggering

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1Focus on the Details

Prime BSI™ Scientific CMOS Camera Datasheet

4.2 Megapixel BSI CMOS Sensor
Backside Illuminated Sensor
1.1e- Read Noise (Median)>95% peak QE
45,000e- full well
6.5 x 6.5μm pixels
18.8mm diagonal

Easily Mounted and Secured
C-mount
Two ¼”-20 mounting holes per side

Convenient Interfaces
16-bit Data• 43.5 fps

Multiple Cooling Options
Forced Air Cooling• -10ºC Cooling• Selectable Fan SpeedLiquid Cooling• -25ºC Cooling• Leak-proof, quick-disconnect ports

Advanced Triggering Capabilities
Effective Global Shutter
Up to four selectable expose-out lines

Rev A2-01302018©2018 Photometrics. All rights reserved.

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Prime BSI™ Scientific CMOS Camera Datasheet

Focus on the Details

Embedded Signal Processing (ESP™) Features
PrimeEnhanceWith the near-perfect sensitivity of Backside Illuminated Scientific CMOS sensors, the latest
generation of scientific cameras have enabled imaging using only a few photons per pixel.
Unfortunately, these minute signals are dominated by the natural Poisson variation in lightlevels preventing useful quantitation.
PrimeEnhance uses a quantitative SNR enhancement algorithm used in Life Science imaging
to reduce the impact of photon shot-noise present in acquired images, leading to an increasein Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) by 3x to 5x with equivalent exposure times.
With PrimeEnhance, the exposure times can be reduced by a factor of 8-10X while
maintaining the Signal to Noise ratio. This reduces the effects of cellular photo-damage andextends cell lifetimes.

Increase SNR 3x to 5x at low
light levels by reducing photon
shot-noise
Preserve signal intensities
ensuring quantitative measurements

Invented at INRIA and further optimized for fluorescence microscopy at the Institut
Curie, the denoising algorithm used in PrimeEnhance uses a patch based evaluation ofimage data and knowledge of the each individual camera’s performance parameters toreduce the effects of photon shot-noise. The patches of image intensities and their noisecharacteristics are processed and evaluated with increasing neighborhood sizes during
which weighted intensity averages are taken. This iterative process preserves not only thequantitative nature of the measured intensities, but also the maintains the finer features
present in biological samples.

Detailed performance and methodology of the algorithm is available in the following publication:

Patch-based nonlocal functional for denoising fluorescence microscopy image sequences.
Boulanger J, Kervrann C, Bouthemy P, Elbau P, Sibarita JB, Salamero J. IEEE Trans. Med Imaging 2010 Feb.

Extend cell lifetimes with
reduced phototoxicity andphotobleaching
Extremely useful for low light
imaging applications dominatedby noise150 150150 150145 145145 145140 140140 140135 135

135 135

130 130

Fig
Fig2b2bOriginal
Original
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125 125
00 20 2040 4060 6080 80100 100
120 120140 140160 160
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00 20 2040 4060 6080 80100 100
120 120140 140160 160
180 180
200 200

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Focus on the Details

Prime BSI™ Scientific CMOS Camera Datasheet

Embedded Signal Processing (ESP™) Features
PrimeLocate
Localization based super-resolution microscopy requires asparsity of data to ensure proper localization of emitting
molecules. Even with this sparsity, the full image frame
is transferred to the host to be analyzed, creating a large
amount data to be processed without adding useful
information.

Transmission+(1320,492)+(1460,625)+(1400,700)

PrimeLocate dynamically evaluates image data and locates
500 regions per frame containing single molecule data
relevant for super-resolution localization. Only these 500
regions are transferred to the host computer, drasticallyreducing the amount of data and time required foranalysis.

Only the data within the patches is transferred to the hostcomputer

By transferring only the relevant raw data, users have thefreedom to use their preferred localization algorithm togenerate super-resolution images.

Allows freedom to select preferred super-resolution
localization algorithm

Processing time and storage requirements are easier tomanage with the acquisition of only relevant data
Ability to transfer 500 regions per frame

Multi-ROIThe surplus of data generated by sCMOS devices ischallenging to acquire, analyze, and store, requiring
special interfaces and expensive SSDs. While a large
Field of View (FOV) is convenient for imaging,at times, only certain areas contain the desiredinformation.
Multi-ROI allows users to select up to 15 unique
ROIs within the FOV, and only these selected regions
are transferred to the host computer. This allows fora large reduction in the amount of data acquired but
ensures that the critical information is obtained.

Only the data within the user-defined ROIs istransferred to the host computer
Select up to 15 unique regions
Significantly reduce the amount of data being
acquired

Rev A2-01302018©2018 Photometrics. All rights reserved.

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Prime BSI™ Scientific CMOS Camera Datasheet

Focus on the Details

Specifications

Camera Performance

SensorGpixel GSENSE2020BSI Scientific CMOS sensor

Active Array Size

2048 x 2048 (4.2 Megapixel)

Pixel Area

6.5μm x 6.5μm (42.25μm2)

Sensor Area

13.3mm x 13.3mm
18.8mm diagonal

Peak QE%>95%
1.1e- (Median)

Read Noise

1.3e- (RMS)

Full-Well Capacity

45,000e- (Combined Gain)

Dynamic Range

41,000:1 (Combined Gain)

Bit Depth

16-bit (Combined Gain)

Readout Mode

Rolling Shutter
Effective Global Shutter

Binning

2x2 (on FPGA)

Cooling Performance

Sensor Temperature

Dark Current

Air Cooled-10ºC @ 30ºC Ambient

0.5e-/pixel/second

Liquid Cooled-25ºC @ 30ºC Ambient

0.12e-/pixel/second

Specifications

Camera Interface

Digital Interface

PCIe, USB 3.0

Lens Interface

C-Mount

Mounting Points

2 x ¼ 20” mounting points per side to prevent rotation

Liquid Cooling

Quick Disconnect Ports

Triggering Mode

Function

Input Trigger Modes

Trigger-First: Sequence triggered on first rising edge
Edge: Each frame triggered on rising edge
SMART Streaming: Fast iteration through multiple exposure times

Output Trigger Modes

Any Row: Expose signal is high while any row is acquiring data
Rolling Shutter: Effective Global Shutter – Expose signal is high when all rows are acquiring dataSignal is High for set Exposure time – Readout Time

Output Trigger Signals

Rev A2-01302018©2018 Photometrics. All rights reserved.

Expose Out (up to four signals), Read Out, Trigger Ready

Note: Specifications are subject to change.

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Prime BSI™ Scientific CMOS Camera Datasheet

Focus on the Details

100Frame RateQUANTUM EFFICIENCY (%)

9080
7060

Array Size

16-bit11-bit*2048 x 2048

43.5872048 x 102487

174

2048 x 512

1743482048 x 128

6961392

504030201002003004005006007008009001000

WAVELENGTH (NM)*When Available

Accessories (Included)

Accessories (Additional)

USB 3.0 Cable

ManualPCIe Card/Cable

Trigger Cable

QuickStart Guide

Liquid Circulator

Power Supply

Liquid Cooling Tubes

Distance from C-mount to sensor

A12B345678

Photometrics is a registered trademark.
Prime BSI is a trademark of Photometrics.
All other brand and product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Specifications in this datasheet are subject to change.
Refer to the Photometrics website for most current specifications.

Rev A2-01302018©2018 Photometrics. All rights reserved.

www.photometrics.com
info@photometrics.com
tel: +1 520.889.9933
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