25 Years Experience in Photon Counting!
Founded in 1993, Becker & Hickl have introduced a proprietary time-correlated single-photon counting principle that made TCSPC more than 100 times faster than the existing devices. Moreover, bh introduced a multi-dimensional TCSPC process that records the photons not only versus the time in the signal period, but also versus other parameters, such as experiment time, wavelength, or spatial coordinates. The bh devices are designed to record multi-dimensional photon distributions, time-resolved images, sequences of photon distributions, or multi-dimensional time-tag data. The bh TCSPC products are complemented by bh picosecond diode lasers, detector modules, multi-spectral detector assemblies, and experiment control modules. Based on these components Becker & Hickl supply their own confocal fluorescence lifetime laser scanning microscope and FLIM upgrade kits for laser scanning microscopes of various manufacturers. Moreover, bh is supplier of TCSPC modules for commercial time-domain optical tomography instruments. bh market activities include currently 5 workshops around the world and distribution of more than 1200 pages of TCSPC literature.
1993
Introduction of multidimensional TCSPC. Introduction of fast TAC/ADC conversion. TCSPC becomes 100 times faster than it was before. SPC-300 modules with 32 or 128 simultaneously recording detector channels. Time channel width 820 fs. Saturated count rate 3 MHz.
1994
SPC-330 modules. Improved IRF width.
Routers for parallel operation of detectors.
1995
SPC-430 modules. Continuous Flow mode for infinite sequential recording. Saturated count rate 8 MHz. First single-molecule applications. Resolution of bursts, lifetime analysis within bursts.
1996
SPC-535 modules. First implementation of TCSPC FLIM. First FLIM applications. PMS-300 gated photon counter and multichannel scaler
1997
SPC-630 modules. Introduction of PCI bus. Modules contain time-tag mode, standard photon distribution modes, and continuous flow mode. PMH-100 detector module simplifies system setup.
1998
SPC-730 modules. Introduction of TCSPC FLIM. Scan Sync In and Scan Sync out mode. First applications in FLIM microscopy. MSA-300 multichannel scaler. 100 MHz count rate, 5 ns channel width.
1999
SPC-134 four-channel packages for optical tomography. Devices contain continuous flow mode, standard photon distribution modes, and time-tag mode. Saturated sustained count rate 32 MHz. SPC-130 TCSPC board for industrial applications.
2000
FLIM upgrade kits for Zeiss LSM 510 NLO microscopes. SPCImage FLIM data analysis software. MSA-1000 multichannel scaler. 1 ns resolution, count rate 1000 MHz. BHL-600 red and NIR picosecond diode lasers. New SPCM software introduces autosave, auto-accumulate, and automatic page stepping functions
2001
SPC-830 modules. Fast DMA bus interface. Saturated sustained count rate 8 MHz. Standard photon distribution modes, FLIM modes, time-tag recording. For the first time, FLIM and single-molecule techniques were combined in one instrument. DCC-100 detector controller solves the problem of detector overload. PMC-100 cooled detector modules. Internal preamplifier, internal high-voltage generator, overload shutdown. System setup is greatly simplified. Detector-Shutter modules for non-descanned ports of multiphoton microscopes.
2002
FLIM systems for Leica, Olympus, and Biorad laser scanning microscopes. First multi-spectral FLIM BHLP-700 NIR picosecond diode lasers. Up to 10 mW at 785 nm. BDL-405 UV picosecond diode lasers. DDG-100 pulse generator for multiplexed operation of lasers and SPC modules. First demonstration of double-exponential FRET imaging.
2003
SPC-144 four-channel TCSPC Imaging Package. Saturated sustained count rate 40 MHz. BDL-375, 440, and 473 picosecond diode lasers. PML-16 multi-wavelength detector. Online FCS, PCH, and MCS trace calculation in the time-tag mode of the bh TCSPC modules.
2004
Simple-Tau 140 and Simple-Tau 830 compact TCSPC systems. MW-FLIM, first multi-spectral NDD FLIM systems for multiphoton microscopes. Macro-time synchronisation of several TCSPC modules. First full correlation down to the picosecond region.
2005
New PML-16 sixteen channel detector. Internal high-voltage generator, overload shutdown, control via DCC-100. High-efficiency single-mode fibre coupling of BDL picosecond diode lasers. FLIM upgrade kits for confocal laser scanning microscopes based on bh BDL-SM lasers and bh TCSPC technology. W. Becker, Advanced Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting Techniques published by Springer. First edition of BH TCSPC Handbook. 360 pages, 364 references.
2006
High-power CW mode for BDL-SMC picosecond diode lasers. Second edition of bh TCSPC Handbook. 387 pages, 387 references.
2007
DCS-120 confocal laser scanning systems. Complete fluorescence-lifetime laser scanning microscopes. DPC-230 16 channel photon correlator, 160 ps resolution. SPC-154 package and SPC-150 modules. Standard photon distribution modes, continuous flow mode, TCSPC imaging, continuous-flow imaging, imaging in the time-tag mode. Imaging in time-tag mode for SPC-140 and SPC-830.
2008
FLIM systems for Zeiss LSM 710 microscopes. NDD FLIM systems for Leica SP2 MP and SP5 MP microscopes. Simple-Tau 152 and -154 two and four channel TCSPC systems. 3rd edition of bh TCSPC Handbook.
2009
GaAsP hybrid detectors. 8-channel parallel TCSPC and TCSPC FLIM systems
2010
Eight-channel SPAD detector. GaAsP hybrid detectors in all bh FLIM systems. Z stack FLIM. 4th edition of bh TCSPC Handbook.
2011
Phosphorescence decay imaging in DCS-120 and Zeiss LSM 710 FLIM systems. Fluorescence Lifetime-Transient Scanning (FLITS) DCS-120 Wideband, DCS-120 Multiphoton, and DCS-120 Macro FLIM systems.
2012
DCS-120 electronic alignment, NIR FLIM, FLITS integrated in DCS-120 and LSM 710 FLIM systems, 5th edition of bh TCSPC Handbook.
2013
20 th anniversary of Becker & Hickl
MW-FLIM and PML-16 GaAsP multi-wavelength detectors, SPC-150N TCSPC module, Megapixel FLIM, Mosaic FLIM, BDL-SMN series and BDS series picosecond diode lasers. Single-molecule burst analysis software.
2013
MW-FLIM and PML-16 GaAsP multi-wavelength detectors, SPC‑150N TCSPC module, BDL-SMN series and BDS series picosecond diode lasers. Single-molecule burst analysis software.
2014
64-bit SPCM software. Megapixel FLIM, Mosaic FLIM, triggered accumulation of time series by mosaic FLIM, Z stack recording by Mosaic FLIM. SPC‑160 TCSPC modules. 6th edition of bh TCSPC Handbook.
2015
Imaging of Ca2+ transients in neurons. SPC-150NX module, world record in TCSPC time resolution with superconducting NbN detector. Fibre-based TCSPC systems for in vivo applications. W. Becker (ed.), Advanced Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting Applications.
2016
Fast Online FLIM, FLIM with Abberior STED microscopes, SPC-160PCIe, DCC-100PCIe, GVD-120PCIe PCI-Express TCSPC, Detector Control, and Scan Control modules. Simple Tau II TCSPC systems with Thunderbolt interface. FLIM for Sutter Instrument MOM microscopes.
2017
Sub-20 ps (FWHM) IRF width with new HPM-100-06 and -07 hybrid detectors. Spatial Mosaic FLIM with with DCS-120 confocal and multiphoton FLIM systems. Phasor analysis integrated in SPCImage. SPCM Software controls Ti:Sa laser, AOM, and motorised sample stage. 7th edition of bh TCSPC Handbook.
2018
FASTAC fast-acquisition FLIM system, 25 ps FWHM with fast HPM detectors.
2019
Metabolic FLIM with multiplexed diode lasers. Parallel detection of NADH and FAD fluorescence.
2020
Metabolic FLIM with multiplexed 2p-excitation. SPCImage NG data analysis with GPU processing. Maxtau 12-Channel TCSPC system. LHB-104 Laser Hub with four ps diode lasers, common single-mode fibre output.
2021
Ultra-Fast TCSPC/FLIM Modules with fast PCIe Interface: SPC-180NX and SPC-130INX IRF width 3.4 ps FWHM, channel width 405 femtoseconds. 9th edition of bh TCSPC Handbook. 9th edition of DCS-120 Handbook
2022
SPC-180NXX, ultra-fast version of SPC-180NX. IRF width 2.8 ps FWHM, time-channel width 203 femtoseconds.