Selection of Temporal Gates for Bi-Exponential Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging

Fluorescence lifetime imaging is a commonly-used molecular imaging technique for preclinical and clinical studies of cells or tissues. Herein, the accuracy of lifetime imaging in the case of a bi-exponential model is investigated based on limited time data points. An in silico investigation shows that estimation accuracy of the model parameters involved (lifetimes and fractional amplitudes) can be maintained while reducing the number of time-gates used to eight. Recommendations of which time gates to use are also made based upon the presented analysis.