SPAD technology for life sciences & pharmaceutical applications

Slawomir S. Piatek, Ph.D., Hamamatsu Corporation
September 16, 2026

About this webinar

In this webinar, Hamamatsu consultant Slawomir Piatek, PhD, provides an overview of single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) technology and its growing role in life sciences and pharmaceutical applications. After reviewing the technology fundamentals, the presentation highlights the use of silicon SPAD modules in techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) for protein formulation and stability analysis, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), and fluorescence lifetime measurements. It also discusses the advantages of silicon SPAD arrays for advanced imaging applications, including image scanning microscopy (ISM), fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), and imaging cytometry. Examples from Hamamatsu's SPAD portfolio demonstrate how single-photon-sensitive detectors enable high-performance analytical and bioimaging measurements.

Hosted by Photonics Spectra.

About the presenters

Slawomir S. Piatek, Ph.D., has extensive experience in academic research, physics education, and photonics. At Hamamatsu Corporation, he has developed engineering training programs and communicates advanced optical detection technologies to professional audiences. A former senior physics lecturer at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, he studied nearby galaxies using the Hubble Space Telescope. He earned a PhD in Physics from Rutgers University in 1994 and specializes in silicon photomultipliers, single-photon avalanche diodes, photomultiplier tubes, LiDAR, low-light detection, and scientific imaging.