A Cmos Inpixel Ctia Highsensitivity Fluorescence Imager

• doi: 10.1109/TBCAS.2011.2114660
• title: A CMOS In-Pixel CTIA High-Sensitivity Fluorescence Imager
• publisher: IEEE
• isbn:
• issn: 1940-9990
• rank: 565
• access_type: LOCKED
• content_type: Journals
• abstract: Traditionally, charge-coupled device (CCD)-based image sensors have held sway over the field of biomedical imaging. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-based imagers so far lack sensitivity leading to poor low-light imaging. Certain applications including our work on animal-mountable systems for imaging in awake and unrestrained rodents require the high sensitivity and image quality of CCDs and the low power consumption, flexibility, and compactness of CMOS imagers. We present a 132 × 124 high sensitivity imager array with a 20.1-μ m pixel pitch fabricated in a standard 0.5- μm CMOS process. The chip incorporates n-well/p-sub photodiodes, capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA)-based in-pixel amplification, pixel scanners, and delta differencing circuits. The 5-transistor all-nMOS pixel interfaces with peripheral pMOS transistors for column-parallel CTIA. At 70 frames/s, the array has a minimum detectable signal of 4 nW/cm2 at a wavelength of 450 nm while consuming 718 μA from a 3.3-V supply. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was 44 dB at an incident intensity of 1 μW/cm2. Implementing 4 × 4 binning allowed the frame rate to be increased to 675 frames/s. Alternately, sensitivity could be increased to detect about 0.8 nW/cm2 while maintaining 70 frames/s. The chip was used to image single-cell fluorescence at 28 frames/s with an average SNR of 32 dB. For comparison, a cooled CCD camera imaged the same cell at 20 frames/s with an average SNR of 33.2 dB under the same illumination while consuming more than a watt.
• article_number: 5738700
• pdf_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5738700
• html_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5738700/
• abstract_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5738700/
• publication_title: IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems
• conference_location:
• conference_dates:
• publication_number: 4156126
• is_number: 6058665
• publication_year: 2011
• publication_date: Oct. 2011
• start_page: 449
• end_page: 458
• citing_paper_count: 62
• citing_patent_count: 3
• download_count: 3226
• insert_date: 20110324
• index_terms:
  • ieee_terms:
    • Pixel
    • Noise
    • Imaging
    • Photodiodes
    • Arrays
    • MOSFETs
    • Sensitivity
  • author_terms:
    • Capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA)
    • complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager
    • fluorescence imaging
    • functional imaging
    • low-light imaging
    • microscopy
  • dynamic_index_terms:
    • Signal-to-noise
    • Signal-to-noise Ratio
    • Medical Imaging
    • Clinical Imaging
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • CCD Camera
    • Charge-coupled Device
    • Frame Rate
    • Image Sensor
    • Camera Sensor
    • Peak Signal-to-noise Ratio
    • PSNR
    • Incident Intensity
    • Low-light Image
    • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
    • Lateral Sclerosis
    • Motor Symptoms
    • Analog-to-digital Converter
    • Analog-to-digital
    • Digital-to-analog Converter
    • Photocurrent
    • Thermal Noise
    • Current Noise
    • Shot Noise
    • Poisson Noise
    • Dark Current
    • Least Significant Bit
    • Low Bit
    • Blue Light-emitting Diodes
    • Pixel Array
    • Output Pixel
    • Input-referred Noise
    • Voltage-sensitive Dye
    • Potentiometric Dye
    • Entire Array
    • Peripheral Circuits
    • Low Dark Current
    • Output Buffer
    • Charge-coupled Device Detector
    • Pixel Column
    • Dark Signal
• authors:
  • Author Name: Kartikeya Murari
    Affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37424380500
    ID: 37424380500
    Order: 1
    Author Affiliations:
    • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
  • Author Name: Ralph Etienne-Cummings
    Affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38271387300
    ID: 38271387300
    Order: 2
    Author Affiliations:
    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
  • Author Name: Nitish V. Thakor
    Affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37275752200
    ID: 37275752200
    Order: 3
    Author Affiliations:
    • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
  • Author Name: Gert Cauwenberghs
    Affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37270866000
    ID: 37270866000
    Order: 4
    Author Affiliations:
    • Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

Image Sensor

• sensor_type: CMOS
• resolution: 132x124 pixels
• dynamic_range: 44 dB
• pixel_size: 20.1 µm
• dark_current: 0.14 nA/cm^2

Optical Data

• focal_length: not specified
• aperture: not specified
• field_of_view: not specified
• distortion: not specified

Performance Metrics

• frame_rate: 70 fps (up to 675 fps with binning)
• signal_to_noise_ratio: 44 dB at 1 µW/cm^2
• sensitivity: 4 nW/cm^2
• power_consumption: 2.37 mW
• noise: 824 µV output-referred read noise

Applications & Benefits

• cell_imaging: Capable of imaging single-cell fluorescence at low illumination levels
• benefits: Combines CCD-like sensitivity with the compactness and low-power features of CMOS sensors.

Supporting Organizations

• supported_by: National Institutes of Health

Manuscript Details

• publication_date: Oct. 2011

Relevancy Score

• score: 10
• missing_fields:
  • focal_length
  • aperture
  • field_of_view
  • distortion

Processed JSON Filename

request_765f3fd1-6f39-4894-ac39-561b3ade2552-a_cmos_inpixel_ctia_highsensitivity_fluorescence_imager.json