The bh DCS-120 MP multiphoton FLIM system records fluorescence lifetime images (FLIM) of human hair at unprecendented time resolution. The system employs a femtosecond fibre laser for excitation, a fast galvanometer scanner, a non-descanned detection beam path, ultra-fast HPM-100 hybrid detectors and ultra-fast SPC-180NX TCSPC FLIM modules. The instrument-response function of the system has a width of <19 ps, FWHM. FLIM results obtained from human hair showed a dominating fluorescence-decay component of 8.5 ps lifetime in black and 14 ps in brown hair, but more or less ‘normal’ decay profiles in blond and grey hair. A comparison with decay data from melanin solutions confirmed melanin as the likely source of the fast decay. For further details please see Application Note.
