On the reliability of fluorescence decay data

Abstract

The confidence with which fluorescence decay data can be interpreted is dependent upon the accuracy and precision of these data. This dependence is especially critical when more than one exponential is involved in the decay.1,2 Unfortunately decay curve parameters have often been presented without any indication of either their accuracy or precision. An analysis is presented which suggests that the covariance ellipsoid is the most satisfactory statistic with which to define the precision.