Patent ID: 7683299

Claim:
A light detection system with large dynamic range detection capability, comprising: a first light detection element capable of detecting incident light over a first intensity range, the first light detection element including a photomultiplier tube (PMT); a second light detection element, wherein the second light detection element is capable of detecting incident light over a second intensity range different than and overlapping with the first intensity range, the second light detection element including a solid-state detection element; and a beamsplitting element comprising an electro-optical device, the beamsplitting element configured to transmit a first portion of incident light from a light emitting sample to the first light detection element and direct a second portion of the incident light to the second light detection element, wherein the first and second light detection elements simultaneously detect the incident light from the sample; and wherein an output from the second light detection element is configured such that an output signal from the second light detection element is used as a feedback signal to modify an output of the first light detection element.