Spatial super-resolution in nanosensing with blinking emitters

We propose a method of spatial resolution enhancement in metrology (thermometry, magnetometry, pH estimation and similar methods) with blinking fluorescent nanosensors by combining sensing with super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI). To demonstrate efficiency of this approach, a model experiment with laser diodes modeling fluctuating nanoemitters and intentional blurring of the image is performed. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order cumulant images provide improvement of the contrast and enable successful reconstruction of smaller features of the modeled temperature (or any other physical parameter) distribution relatively to the intensity-based approach. We believe that blinking fluorescent sensing agents being complemented with the developed image analysis technique could be utilized routinely in the life science sector for recognizing the local changes in the spectral response of blinking fluorophores, e.g. delivered targetly to the wanted cell or even organelle. It is extremely useful for the local measurements of living cells' physical parameters changes due to applying any external "forces", including disease effect, aging, healing or response to the treatment.