Patent ID: 7880150
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: G01N,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for high spatial resolution imaging of a structure of interest in a specimen, having the steps: selecting a substance from a group of substances which can be converted repeatedly by a switching signal from a first state having first optical properties providing an optical measurement signal into a second state having second optical properties not providing the optical measurement signal, and which can return from the second state into the first state; marking the structure of interest in the specimen with molecules of the substance; applying an intensity of the switching signal to the specimen in order to convert fractions of the substance into the second state by the switching signal, the intensity of the switching signal being set such that at least 10% of the molecules of the substance remaining in the first state are at a distance from their closest neighboring molecules in the first state, which is greater than a spatial resolution limit of the imaging of the specimen onto the sensor array; imaging the specimen onto a sensor array, the spatial resolution limit of the imaging being greater than an average distance between closest neighboring molecules of the substance in the specimen; using the sensor array to register the optical measurement signal which comes from the molecules of the substance remaining in the first state, in order to record intensity distribution of the optical measurement signal over the sensor array; and from the intensity distribution of the measurement signal, determining the position in the specimen of those molecules of the substance remaining in the first state, which are at a distance from their closest neighboring molecules in the first state, which is greater than the spatial resolution limit of the imaging of the specimen onto the sensor array.