Patent ID: 7776613
Filing Date: 2010-08-17
Classification: G01N,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method of imaging a sample comprising photoswitchable fluorescent probes, the method comprising: (a) providing a sample labeled with a plurality of photoswitchable fluorescent probes, at least some of the photoswitchable fluorescent probes being separated by a distance of less than about 1000 nm, at least some of the photoswitchable fluorescent probes being in a state not capable of emitting light at a first wavelength; (b) exposing the plurality of photoswitchable fluorescent probes to substantially identical activation light to activate a statistical subset of the photoswitchable fluorescent probes from a state not capable of emitting light at the first wavelength to a state capable of emitting light at the first wavelength; (c) exciting the activated subset of photoswitchable fluorescent probes with excitation light to cause the activated subset to emit light at the first wavelength; (d) determining light emitted at the first wavelength by the activated subset of photoswitchable fluorescent probes; (e) substantially deactivating the activated subset of photoswitchable fluorescent probes; (f) repeating (b) through (e) one or more times, each time activating a statistically different subset of the plurality of photoswitchable fluorescent probes; and (g) determining the positions of at least some of the photoswitchable fluorescent probes within the sample by using the light emitted by the activated subsets of the photoswitchable fluorescent probes.