Patent ID: 7864314
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: G01N,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method of imaging with an optical system characterized by a diffraction-limited resolution volume, the method comprising: in a sample comprising a plurality of optical labels distributed in the sample with a density greater than an inverse of the diffraction-limited resolution volume of the optical system, providing radiation to at least a portion of the sample to induce emission of fluorescence radiation from a plurality of subsets of the optical labels in the portion of the sample to which the radiation is provided, wherein different subsets of the optical labels emit fluorescence radiation at different times; controlling an intensity of the radiation provided to the portion of the sample such that the mean volume per fluorescing optical label in the subsets is greater than or approximately equal to the diffraction-limited resolution volume of the imaging system; detecting fluorescence radiation emitted from optical labels of the subsets of optical labels, wherein fluorescence radiation from optical labels of different subsets is detected at different times; determining locations of a plurality of individual optical labels in the subsets of optical labels with sub-diffraction limited accuracy based on the detected radiation; and generating an image of the portion of the sample based on the determined locations of the plurality of individual optical labels.