Device for locating an individual particle in a sample and associated method

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (100) for localizing an individualized particle (2) in a sample (3) having several regions (31), the particle being adapted to emit photons when it receives light, the device comprising: a support (110) for the sample; a light source arranged to produce an illumination field adapted to illuminate the sample placed on its support, an intensity of the illumination field having a temporal and spatial variation, so that said intensity has, in each region of the sample, a predetermined temporal pattern different from the temporal patterns of said intensity in the other regions; a detector (140) adapted to convert the photons emitted by the particle in response to its illumination by the illumination field, into a signal representative of the intensity of the illumination field received by the particle; a computer (150) programmed to determine, on the basis of a temporal evolution of the signal from the detector and the temporal and spatial variation of the intensity of the illumination field, the region of the sample in which the particle is localized.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.