Target-locking single-molecule nanoscopy
AssigneeMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
InventorAlexandros Pertsinidis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A target may be tagged, and its position tracked to maintain the position of the target at the center (e.g., zero region) of a suppression beam, where suppression is minimal, so the signal from the target is not suppressed relative to signal from background molecules. Point scanning is not needed, as a pixelated detector of a camera can be used to acquire the position of the target in one shot. Images of the object from the pixelated detector can be analyzed to acquire the position of the target. To maintain the target in the zero, the beams may be steered onto the target. Alternatively or additionally, the sample may be moved to place the sample in the center. A correction signal may be sent to cause the sample and/or beams to be moved to maintain the target in position.
Claims23
An interferometric target-locking system, comprising:
- a sample mount configured to receive a sample with a target tagged for observation;
- a beam source configured to emit a tracking beam and an excitation beam at the sample on the sample mount;
- a photon detector configured to detect photons emitted from the sample on the sample mount;
- a feedback system configured to receive photon counts from the photon detector and lock onto the target in the sample so as to maintain the target at a minimum of the tracking beam and at a maximum of the excitation beam;
- and
- a tracking system configured to map movement of the target while the feedback system is locked onto the target.
An interferometric target-locking method, comprising:
- positioning a sample with a tagged target on a sample mount of a target-locking system;
- emitting, from a beam source, a tracking beam and an excitation beam at the sample on the sample mount;
- detecting, using a photon detector, photons emitted from the sample on the sample mount;
- locking onto the target, using a real-time feedback system configured to receive photon counts from the photon detector, by maintaining the target at a minimum of the tracking beam and at a maximum of the excitation beam based on the photon counts;
- and
- mapping movement of the target while the feedback system is locked onto the target.
An interferometric target-locking nanoscopy system, comprising:
- a beam source configured to emit a tracking beam and an excitation beam at a sample on a platform;
- a photon detector configured to detect photons emitted from the platform;
- a computing system configured to receive photon counts from the photon detector and maintain the target at a minimum of the tracking beam and at a maximum of the excitation beam;
- and
- a tracking system configured to map movement of the target while the feedback system is locked onto the target;
- wherein the system is configured to use 3D MINFLUX localization comprising one objective lens or more than one objective lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.