The technique of Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) has been developed and introduced more then 25 years ago. The technique is now widely accepted to be the most sensitive fluorescence detection technique with the inherent temporal resolution required for fluorescence decays.
The advent of sub-nanosecond and picosecond pulsed Diode Pumped Solid State Lasers (DPSSL) with appropriate wavelengths, the availability of suitable detectors of sufficiently fast response time, and modern timing electronics that incorporate the complex acquisition technique into one PCI computer board makes it possible to design a very compact Fluorescence Lifetime Measurement Systems for the use in biological environments, medicine, chemical technology semiconductor's nanotechnology, advanced optics materials technology, etc.