Fluorescent Lifetime Imaging   Microscope (FLIM)

1. FLIM is a microscopic technique based   on measuring the decay time of a labeled dye or the materials which have   photoluminescence (PL).

2. The fluorescence lifetime is strongly   influenced by the chemical environment near the luminescent material.   Therefore, by measuring the fluorescence lifetime, parameters such as the   local pH value, oxygen content, or ion concentration, as well as the charge   transfer kinetic characteristics can be obtained.

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence   Microscope (TIRFM)

1. TIRFM excites fluorescent molecules by   using the characteristic of decay wave generated on the other side of the   medium after total reflection of light, and then the extremely thin region of   the fluorescently labeled sample can be observed, thus greatly reducing the   interference of background light noise on the observed target.

2. TIRFM is mainly used for   micro-structure and single-molecule imaging, such as single protein dynamics   on cell membranes, calcium ion detection, drug tracking, and cell structure   imaging.

Single-molecule FRET Confocal   Microscope

1. Compared with TIRFM, the   single-molecule confocal microscope is more suitable for the measurement of   fast dynamics of biological macromolecules.