Extension of the performance of Laplace deconvolution in the analysis of fluorescence decay curves.

The original Laplace deconvolution of luminescence data, obtained with pulsed systems, is reviewed. The system of equations from which the luminescence parameters can be determined is generalized for the case that describes the relaxation by a sum of exponentials. Artifacts such as scatter and time-shift can be taken into account. A modification of the original method that eliminates the iterative procedure in the estimation of the cut-off correction is suggested. This modified Laplace method is no longer restricted to the cases where the cut-off error is rather small and the exciting flash has a low tail. The possibility of the combination of several discrete experiments in a single Laplace deconvolution, without introducing new parameters or normalization factors, is shown. The merits of this combination method are demonstrated on a time-resolved depolarization experiment.