Fluorescent resolution target for super-resolution microscopy

Historically, resolution in fluorescence optical microscopy has been limited by the Rayleigh criterion. Recently, however, several techniques have achieved resolution below that specified by the Rayleigh criterion. Among these are 4-Pi confocal microscopy, harmonic excitation light-microscopy, stimulated emission depletion microscopy, near-field scanning optical microscopy and (IM)-M-5. The most widely accepted current method of resolution testing is to image an array of closely packed fluorescent beads or beads dispersed in a matrix. This shows that the system is capable of resolving a feature with a given diameter; however, it does not demonstrate the classical resolution of the system. We have fabricated a fluorescent resolution target for better characterization of a system's resolution.