Methods of high-resolution imaging a structure of a sample, the structure being marked with fluorescence markers

A method of high-resolution imaging a structure of a sample, the structure being marked with fluorescence markers, the method comprising

• subjecting the sample to a light intensity distribution including an intensity maximum of focused fluorescence excitation light,
• scanning partial areas of interest of the sample with the light intensity distribution,
• registering fluorescence light emitted out of the sample and allocating the registered fluorescence light to a respective location of the light intensity distribution in the sample, and
• terminating subjecting the sample to at least one part of the light intensity distribution at each location of the light intensity distribution in the sample if, within a predetermined period of time, a predetermined minimum light amount of the fluorescence light emitted out of the sample has not yet been registered,
• wherein subjecting the sample to the at least one part of the light intensity distribution is also terminated at each location of the light intensity distribution in the sample if, within at least one further period of time which is longer than the period of time, a further predetermined minimum light amount of the fluorescence light emitted out of the sample which is higher than the predetermined minimum light amount has not yet been registered.

A method of high resolution imaging a structure of a sample, the structure being marked with fluorescence markers, the method comprising

• subjecting the sample to a light intensity distribution including an intensity maximum of focused fluorescence excitation light,
• scanning partial areas of interest of the sample with the light intensity distribution,
• registering fluorescence light emitted out of the sample and allocating the registered fluorescence light to a respective location of the light intensity distribution in the sample, and
• terminating subjecting the sample to at least one part of the light intensity distribution at each location of the light intensity distribution in the sample if at least one criterion selected from the following criteria is met for the respective location of the light intensity distribution:
• a predetermined maximum light amount of the fluorescence light emitted out of the sample has been registered,
• a predetermined minimum light amount of the fluorescence light emitted out of the sample has not been registered within a predetermined period of time,
• wherein, over several repetitions of scanning the partial areas of interest or over several scanned x-y-planes of the sample having different z-positions, at least one of the predetermined maximum and minimum light amounts is reduced or the associated predetermined period of time is increased.