Patent ID: 8908174

Claim:
A microscope device comprising a diffraction-limited resolution volume with several dye molecules that can be switched between different states, wherein at least one state is fluorescent, the fluorescence is collected with an objective lens (O), and imaged by an optical system onto a spatially-resolving detector, wherein the dye molecules have in at least one portion of the sample, a distribution density that is greater than the inverse of the diffraction-limited resolution volume, one or more light sources for the emission of switching radiation, in order to switch a first sub-set of the dye molecules have in the sample and for the emission of excitation radiation, in order to excite the first sub-set of the dye molecules, wherein, a phase mask is provided in a beam path of detection radiation that generates, in the detector plane, a light distribution with at least partially limited, local radiation minimum, by destructive interference, said light distribution being surrounded by constructive interference maxima, said phase mask having a continuous or discontinuous change in phase delay.