The Power HyD Detector Family

Three detectors provide improved photon counting

At the heart of the STELLARIS confocal platform are our core Power HyD S detectors. These detectors offer both analog and photon counting detection capabilities in confocal imaging.

The Power HyD R detectors deliver optimized imaging in the near-infrared , while our Power HyD X are specialized detectors for FLIM and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy ( FCS ) imaging. Both Power HyD R and Power HyD X offer photon counting and digital modes and are options to extend the application flexibility in STELLARIS 8.

The STELLARIS Power HyD detector family delivers the highest sensitivity in a wide spectral range. The powerful confocal detectors provide detection flexibility for a broad range of application needs, enabling you to obtain brilliant, publication-ready images .

Conventional photon counting works accurately at low signal intensities, when photons are hitting the detector sparsely, but cannot differentiate between one or two photons hitting the detector at the same time. Leica Microsystems has implemented a new proprietary approach to photon counting, Power Counting, that overcomes this limitation and is capable of distinguishing overlapping photons from a single photon. The entire Power HyD detector family is equipped with this new approach.

Our Power HyD S technology in combination with Power Counting delivers more than twice dynamic range* compared with classical photon counting. This enhanced capacity to count photons improves image contrast, especially at high signal intensities where the likelihood of having overlapping photons is much greater. Now you can obtain quantitative results, thanks to Leica Microsystems’ proprietary approach to photon counting.

*comparison of linear range of STELLARIS HyD S vs SP8 HyD in photon counting mode (CW)

The Power HyD S detectors are the new core of STELLARIS. These silicon-based Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC) detectors are the result of years of engineering experience at Leica Microsystems. The result is enhanced image quality in confocal imaging.

The Power HyD S offer both analog and photon counting operating modes, providing unique flexibility and versatility for a wide range of confocal applications. The analog detection delivers the highest dynamic range , which allows you to collect accurate and quantitative data at either high or low photon counts. By switching to the photon counting mode, you are provided with ultra-low dark noise giving you the sensitivity to even the faintest of signals .

The Power HyD S detectors provide high contrast images thanks to improved sensitivity and low dark noise. This combination is especially useful for delicate samples that need to be imaged under low laser power. High sensitivity and low background signal mean that delicate samples can still be imaged clearly, with almost no interference or noise even with the laser power reduced to a minimum, protecting them from photodamage.

The Power HyD S detectors allow for enhanced sensitivity in the blue-green range with a Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) of up to 56%, more than double compared to conventional multi-alkali photomultiplier tube (PMT) detectors. This ultra-sensitive detection comes in the range where most commonly used fluorescent probes such as CFP or GFP emit, helping you improve your live cell imaging experiments, even at low level signals.

The Power HyD detector family, in combination with the new extended white light laser, provides more color options in the near-infrared spectrum, delivering an incredibly wide spectral range for excitation and detection of fluorescence.

The Power HyD detector family extends the detection range out to 850 nm , allowing you to add up to 3 additional fluorophores to your experiment . This new versatility gives you more options when it comes to including Near Infrared Dyes in your experiments.

The Power HyD S and Power HyD R detectors give excellent sensitivity in the Near Infrared spectral range*, with at least 2x higher PDE compared to PMT detectors . Our Power HyD R detectors for extended red performance give you excellent signal in this range, and optimal use of the new WLL wavelengths allows for optimal excitation for several key fluorophores in the new rage (e.g. AF750, AF790, CF 700, CF 750, CF 770 ).

* Near Infrared spectral range (720-850nm).

By providing high-speed photon counting with accurate photon arrival time information, all the Power HyD detectors enable the use of TauSense, allowing for the simultaneous capture of fluorescence intensity and lifetime-based information from the dyes in your sample . TauSense is completely integrated so that, at the push of a button, it is possible to add an extra dimension of information with just one click. TauSense enables you to explore the cellular microenvironment and metabolic states as well as separate dyes based on their fluorescence lifetime information.

The Power HyD X and Power HyD R detectors are especially optimized to make the most of fast lifetime imaging applications. To detect single molecules as is often required in lifetime imaging applications, extreme sensitivity is required from the microscope detector. The Power HyD X and Power HyD R detectors have been developed to be the perfect detector for all SMD (single molecule detection) methods. An active cooling system comprised of built-in Peltier cooling and additional external cooling that reduces dark noise , result in the highest SMD data quality. High quantum efficiency combined with virtually no detector after-pulsing allows acquisition of precise diffusion data. Thanks to high photon count numbers and short instrument response time , the Power HyD X and Power HyD R detectors are world leading for use in lifetime applications.