Patent ID: 9372333
Filing Date: 2016-06-21
CPC Classification: G01N,G02B

Claim Text:
1. A high resolution microscope having an illumination beam path with wide-field illumination of a sample marked with marking molecules which can be activated or switched by a signal such that only in the activated or switched state can they be excited to emit fluorescent radiation, comprising, a source of radiation on said sample thereby activating and producing reflected fluorescent detection light, said signal being introduced to the sample in such a way that only a subset of the marker molecules present in the sample are activated, with sub-regions existing in the sample in which activated marker molecules have a minimum distance from their nearest neighboring activated marker molecules greater than or equal to a distance that represents a predetermined optical resolution, wherein the geometric locations of the marker molecules emitting the fluorescent radiation are determined with a spatial resolution enhanced beyond the predetermined optical resolution; a first detection-beam path of said detection light, a spatially resolved planar detector located within said first detection-beam path, said planar detector having a detection plane, a first part of detection light coming from said sample reaches said detection plane via said first detection-beam path or from an image splitter arrangement within said microscope, at least a second part of said detection light coming from said sample being masked out of the detection-beam path in order to lengthen the optical path length, deflection means associated with said detection-beam path, for guiding at least a second detection-beam path, a further deflection means for deflecting said second detection beam path of said detection light back in the direction of detection in such a way that detection light is caused to be incident on at least two distinct partial areas of said detection plane wherein at least the second part of the detection light runs at least in part to an optical element having a refractive index that is increased in comparison to the first detection-beam path in order to lengthen the optical path length and reaches said detection plane in a different area of said detection plane than said first part, and in that the optical element is designed to be movable at an angle perpendicular to the optical axis of the first detection beam paths in order to adjust the length of the optical path, and in that it includes flat surfaces at least on its light-entry and light-exit sides.