Patent ID: 7064824

Claim:
A method of high spatial resolution imaging a structure of a sample comprising a substance having at least two different states, the method comprising the steps of: changing the state of the substance by means of an optical switch over signal, which purposefully omits at least one spatial area, and detecting an optical measurement signal from at least one of the spatial areas purposefully omitted by the switch signal, the substance being selected from a group of substances which is capable of being repeatedly transferred from a first state having first spectral properties to a second state having second spectral properties by means of the switch over signal and which is capable of returning from the second state to the first state, the optical measurement signal being essentially generated by such portions of the substance which have the first but not the second spectral properties, wherein the first spectral properties as compared to the second spectral properties comprise a distinguishing feature which is selected from: an increased optical absorption of a probe beam; an altered polarization property for a probe beam; and an increased luminescence selected from the group including fluorescence, phosphorescence, electro-luminescence and chemo-luminescence.