FLUORESCENT LIGHT MICROSCOPY WITH INCREASED AXIAL RESOLUTION

摘要

To determine a distribution of fluorescent markers (32), a sample (5) is imaged in an imaging direction (23) onto a detector (9) divided into sub-regions (11). From an opposing exposure direction (25), the sample (5) is caused to emit fluorescent light (24) in a spatially limited, axially extending emission region (18). A non-diffractive optical element (2) situated between the sample (5) and the detector (9) is used, during imaging of the sample (5) onto the detector, to deform and/or shift a point distribution function in at least one transverse direction (30) imaged onto the detector (9), depending on the location along the imaging direction (23). For at least one relative position of the emission region (18), the distribution of the fluorescent markers (32) in the imaging direction (23) is determined from fluorescent light signals which originate from the sub-regions (11) of the detector (9) which lie in the imaged transverse direction (30) outside a central region (29) in which the emission region (18) would be imaged with a diffraction-limited point distribution function which is not deformed and/or shifted.