Tech Spotlight: Three-Dimensional Super-resolution Optical Imaging in the Nanometer Regime

The core of this invention is the combination of any single-molecule active-control method, such as PALM, F-PALM or STORM, with an optical/digital design that optimizes accuracy in the 3D spatial  estimation of the emitter position from the measurement of the optical response. The optical system could include scanning, wide field, or hybrid modalities.

 The primary advantage of the present invention is increased accuracy — compared to the biplane method or the astigmatic imaging method, the present invention encodes z information into a variable that changes strongly through the focal volume. The effect is to produce a much larger total gradient in the signal with z, and hence a much higher estimation accuracy. Resolutions between 10nm and 20nm are possible. Another important advantage of this technology is the simplicity of the optical setup required to yield super-resolution information in three dimensions. All that is necessary is a phase mask or a spatial light modulator in the detection path of a conventional single- molecule fluorescence microscope; there is no need for a complex arrangement of   interfering pumping beams or for two detection pathways.

To read a non-confidential summary of this technology, please click the image above. For more CU technologies available for licensing, please visit our Tech Explorer site.