Precise multi-emitter localization method for fast super-resolution imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces a precise multi-emitter localization method that enhances super-resolution imaging by achieving near-theoretical limit accuracy and significantly improving time resolution over traditional single-molecule analysis.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel simultaneous localization approach with simple equations that closely attains the information-theoretical time resolution bound in super-resolution microscopy.

Findings

Improves time-resolution of super-resolution microscopy by an order of magnitude.

Achieves maximum likelihood estimation of multi-emitter positions.

Closely attains the theoretical limit of localization precision.

Abstract

We present a method that can simultaneously locate positions of overlapped multi-emitters at the theoretical-limit precision. We derive a set of simple equations whose solution gives the maximum likelihood estimator of multi-emitter positions. We compare the performance of our simultaneous localization analysis with the conventional single-molecule analysis for simulated images and show that our method can improve the time-resolution of superresolution microscopy an order of magnitude. In particular, we derive the information-theoretical bound on time resolution of localization-based superresolution microscopy and demonstrate that the bound can be closely attained by our analysis.