Patent ID: 8564792
Filing Date: 2013-10-22
Classification: G01N,G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: providing a plurality of entities able to emit light, at least some of which are separated by a distance of less than about 1000 nm; activating a fraction of the plurality of entities to emit light; forming an astigmatism image of the fraction of the plurality of entities by an optical system which produces astigmatic aberration with respect to the direction that the emitted light passes through the lens; determining the astigmatism image; deactivating the activated fraction of the plurality of entities; and repeating the acts of activating, forming, determining, and deactivating to determine x, y, and z positions of the plurality of entities based on the plurality of astigmatism images, wherein the x, y, and z positions of the plurality of entities are 3-D spatial coordinates and are each determined to a precision better than the wavelength of the light emitted by some of the plurality of entities.