Photothermal confocal spectromicroscopy of multiple cellular chromophores and fluorophores.

ABSTRACT: Confocal fluorescence microscopy is a powerful biological tool providing high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) imaging of fluorescent molecules. Many cellular components are weakly fluorescent, however, and thus their imaging requires additional labeling. As an alternative, label-free imaging can be performed by photothermal (PT) microscopy (PTM), based on nonradiative relaxation of absorbed energy into heat. Previously, little progress has been made in PT spectral identification of cellular chromophores at the 3D microscopic scale. Here, we introduce PTM integrating confocal thermal-lens scanning schematic, time-resolved detection, PT spectral identification, and nonlinear nanobubble-induced signal amplification with a tunable pulsed nanosecond laser. The capabilities of this confocal P

SUBMITTER: Nedosekin DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3274827 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature