Time-resolved non-contact fluorescence diffuse optical tomography measurements with ultra-fast time-correlated single photon counting avalanche photodiodes

The design and fabrication of time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) avalanche photodiodes (APDs) and associated quenching circuits have made significant progresses in recent years. APDs with temporal resolutions comparable to microchannel plate photomultiplier tubes (MCP-PMTs) are now available. MCP-PMTs were until these progresses the best TCSPC detectors with timing resolutions down to 30ps. APDs can now achieve these resolutions at a fraction of the cost. Work is under way to make the manufacturing of TCSPC APDs compatible with standard electronics fabrication practices. This should allow to further reduce their cost and render them easier to integrate in complex multi-channel TCSPC electronics, as needed in diffuse optical tomography (DOT) systems. Even if their sensitive area is much smaller than that of the ubiquitous PMT used in TCSPC, we show that with appropriate selection of optical components, TCSPC APDs can be used in time-domain DOT. To support this, we present experimental data and calculations clearly demonstrating that comparable measurements can be obtained with APDs and PMTs. We are, to our knowledge, the first group using APDs in TD DOT, in particular in non-contact TD fluorescence DOT.