Comment on 'Differential pulse fluorometry using matched photomultipliers-a new method of measuring fluorescence lifetimes'

Abstract

Birch et al. (1984) have reported on the construction and the application of a differential fluorescence lifetime spectrometer based on the single photon correlation technique. The purpose of this comment is to point out that in the case of high resolution systems, using a laser source and very fast photomultipliers, it is essential that just one detection system is used for the measurement of apparatus response and sample fluorescence. In order to avoid optical wavelength dependent effects, the apparatus response is best measured via the known fluorescence decay of a reference compound.