Patent ID: 7880149
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A microscopy system configured for creating 3D images from individually localized probe molecules, the system comprising: a sample stage for mounting a sample having a plurality of photo-sensitive luminescent probes; an activation light source configured to illuminate the sample with an activation light, the activation light source being configured to activate probes of at least one probe subset of the plurality of photo-sensitive luminescent probes; a readout light source configured to illuminate the sample with a readout light, the readout light source being configured to cause luminescence light from the activated probes; a beam splitting device located in a detection light path that splits the luminescence light into at least two generally parallel paths, the beam splitting device creating at least two detection planes that correspond to the same or different number of object planes of the sample; a single camera positioned to detect simultaneously the at least two detection planes, the number of object planes being represented in the camera by the same number of recorded regions of interest; and a controller programmable to combine a signal from the regions of interest into a 3D data stack.