Phosphorescence lifetime based oxygen micro-sensing using a digital micromirror device.

A digital light modulation microscope (DLMM) that utilizes a digital micromirror device (DMD) on an epifluorescence microscope has been developed to modulate excitation light in spatial and temporal domains for phosphorescence lifetime detection. Local O2 concentration can be inferred through the detected lifetime around an O2-quenching phosphorescent porphyrin microsensor. Combined with microsensor arrays, the DLMM can sequentially address light to each microsensor element to construct a discrete lifetime image or O2 distribution. In contrast to conventional phosphorescence lifetime imaging, the new method eliminates the need for a pulsed light source and a time-gated camera. To demonstrate O2 sensing with lab-on-a-chip devices, an array of 150-mum-diameter micro-wells coated with phosphorescent porphyrin were observed. The locations of the sensor elements were automatically identified though image analysis. The goal of this platform is to measure the O2 consumption of individual cells trapped in the microwells.