Hyperspectral (fluorescence lifetime) imaging based on a UV-VIS enhanced supercontinuum source using high-order mode propagation

We report on a new source able to provide probe pulses in the UV visible range and on the demonstration of its application to hyperspectral (fluorescence lifetime) imaging measurements. The source is able to generate UV (down to 300 nm) and blue light exploiting high-order mode propagation in a microstructured fiber pumped by a Ti:Sapphire laser. We believe that further optimization of pump wavelength, fiber length and fiber zero-dispersion wavelength could generate light well below 300 nm using a simple and stable set-up and become a useful tool for biomedical imaging. We demonstrated its versatility using the source for FLIM-FRET measurement a 460 nm and hyperspectral FRET-FLIM measurements. © 2014 SPIE.