Fast wide-field upconversion luminescence lifetime thermometry enabled by single-shot compressed ultrahigh-speed imaging

Abstract

Photoluminescence lifetime imaging of upconverting nanoparticles is increasingly featured in recent progress in optical thermometry. Despite remarkable advances in photoluminescent temperature indicators, existing optical instruments lack the ability of wide-field photoluminescence lifetime imaging in real time, thus falling short in dynamic temperature mapping. Here, we report video-rate upconversion temperature sensing in wide field using single-shot photoluminescence lifetime imaging thermometry (SPLIT). Developed from a compressed-sensing ultrahigh-speed imaging paradigm, SPLIT first records wide-field luminescence intensity decay compressively in two views in a single exposure. Then, an algorithm, built upon the plug-and-play alternating direction method of multipliers, is used to reconstruct the video, from which the extracted lifetime distribution is converted to a temperature map. Using the core/shell NaGdF4:Er3+,Yb3+/NaGdF4 upconverting nanoparticles as the lifetime-based temperature indicators, we apply SPLIT in longitudinal wide-field temperature monitoring beneath a thin scattering medium. SPLIT also enables video-rate temperature mapping of a moving biological sample at single-cell resolution.

Thermoresponsive Polymeric Nanolenses Magnify the Thermal Sensitivity of Single Upconverting Nanoparticles

“…A study of the fluorescence decay of Er 3+ emission as a function of temperature in UCNP@PNIPAM structures seems to rule out this hypothesis (Section S10 of the Supporting Information) since the fluorescence lifetime decreases monotonically with temperature. [ 29 ] The same trend was obtained for UCNP@PNIPAM structures in deuterated water and also when coating the UCNPs with a nonthermoresponsive polymer (see Section S10 of the Supporting Information). Therefore, it seems that the behavior of the de‐excitation processes with temperature is not related to the collapse of the PNIPAM.…”

Luminescent Lifetime Regulation of Lanthanide-Doped Nanoparticles for Biosensing

“…When applied in a single-layer onion epidermis sample for single-cell temperature mapping, the lifetime/temperature maps were recorded in 3 s measurement window ( Figure 12 b). The SPLIT was demonstrated to be resilient to spatial intensity variation, while being advantageous in handling temporal intensity variation [ 90 ].…”

“…( b ) The time-integrated images of a dynamic onion epidermis cell sample with labeling UCNPs. Reproduced with permission from [ 90 ]. Copyright 2021, Nature Publishing Group.…”

An Optoelectronic thermometer based on microscale infrared-to-visible conversion devices

“…Alternatively, temperature readout can be aided by the deployment of photoluminescent (PL) materials or devices, with the thermal status influencing their emission intensity, peak wavelength, decay lifetime, etc. 9 – 12 , 18 – 20 . These thermally dependent luminescent sensors provide visualized temperature information with a high spatiotemporal resolution, offering tremendous advantages and opportunities in areas like bioimaging 9 – 12 , 20 , 21 .…”