Accurate localization microscopy by intrinsic aberration calibration

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel approach to 3D localization microscopy by calibrating intrinsic aberrations of an ordinary microscope, enabling accurate, precise, and comprehensive spatial measurements across wide and deep fields.

Contribution

It introduces a method that fully exploits intrinsic aberrations for 3D localization, reversing the traditional paradigm and enhancing accuracy and depth in microscopy.

Findings

Achieves accurate 3D localization throughout ultrawide fields

Improves measurement precision and testing accuracy

Provides reliable measurements in six degrees of freedom

Abstract

A standard paradigm of localization microscopy involves extension from two to three dimensions by engineering information into emitter images, and approximation of errors resulting from the field dependence of optical aberrations. We invert this standard paradigm, introducing the concept of fully exploiting the latent information of intrinsic aberrations by comprehensive calibration of an ordinary microscope, enabling accurate localization of single emitters in three dimensions throughout an ultrawide and deep field. To complete the extraction of spatial information from microscale bodies ranging from imaging substrates to microsystem technologies, we introduce a synergistic concept of the rigid transformation of the positions of multiple emitters in three dimensions, improving precision, testing accuracy, and yielding measurements in six degrees of freedom. Our study illuminates the challenge of aberration effects in localization microscopy, redefines the challenge as an opportunity for accurate, precise, and complete localization, and elucidates the performance and reliability of a complex microelectromechanical system.