Fluorescence lifetime estimation method for incomplete decay

A new incomplete decay signal model is proposed to describe the incomplete decay effects in a time-correlated single-photon counting based fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy system. On the basis of this model, a MUltiple SIgnal Classification algorithm to correctly estimate fluorescence lifetimes even in the presence of incomplete decay effects is modified. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to demonstrate the performances of the proposed approach, and the results show that the proposed method is insensitive to the laser pulse rate and has a larger lifetime dynamic range compared with previously reported approaches. To the authors´ knowledge, it is the first non-fitting method that can resolve all lifetime components individually of a multi-exponential decay suffering from incomplete decay effects.