Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for imaging a sample (2) arranged in an object plane (1). Such a device comprises an optical relay system (3) which images an area of the sample (2) from the object plane (1) into an intermediate image plane (4). Here, the object plane (1) and the intermediate image plane (4) with an optical axis (5) of the relay system (3) include an angle different from 90°. The optical relay system (3) is composed of several lenses. The device also comprises an optical imaging system (6) with an objective, the optical axis (7) of which lies perpendicularly on the intermediate image plane (4) and which is focused on the intermediate image plane (4), with the result that the object plane (1) can be imaged undistorted onto a detector (8).

Abstract: A method for high-resolution 3D localization microscopy, in which sample is used which has a boundary surface on the imaging side. The sample is illuminated with excitation light in order to excite fluorescence markers to emit light. The sample is imaged to a still image along an imaging direction, by means of imaging optics. The still image contains images of the fluorescing fluorescence markers. The imaging optics has a focal plane and an optical resolution. The excitation and imaging steps are repeated multiple times so that multiple still images are obtained. The excitation steps create images of at least a subset of the fluorescing fluorescence markers isolated in each of the still images. A location is determined in each of the still images and this location has a precision which is greater than the optical resolution. A high-resolution composite image is generated from the locations determined in this manner.