Abstract: The invention provides a method for identifying the impacts of interfering effects on experimental data. In particular, a method is described for identifying the impacts of unwanted auto-fluorescence, fluorescence quenching, and deterioration of a fluorescent sample under study on the collected experimental data. The data are analyzed whether or not said data fulfill certain criteria with respect to a threshold which is indicative for said interfering effect.

Abstract: A method for distinguishing samples having flourescent particles includes (a) monitoring intensity fluctuations of fluorescence emitted by the particles in at least one measurement volume by detecting sequences of photon counts by at least one photon detector, (b) determining, from the sequences of photon counts, intermediate statistical data involving at least two probability functions of the number of photon counts detected in different sets of counting time intervals, and (c) determining from the intermediate statistical data a distribution of particles as a function of at least two arguments, wherein one argument is a specific brightness of the particles, or a measure thereof, and another argument is a diffusion coefficient of the particles, or a measure thereof.

Abstract: A method for characterizing fluorescent molecules or other particles in samples comprising the steps of: a) monitoring fluctuating intensity of fluorescence emitted by the molecules or other particles in at least one measurement volume of a non-uniform spatial brightness profile by measuring numbers of photon counts in primary time intervals by a single or more photon detectors, b) determining at least one distribution of numbers of photon counts, {circumflex over (P)}(n), from the measured numbers of photon counts, c) determining physical quantities characteristic to said particles by fitting the distribution of numbers of photon counts {circumflex over (P)}(n), ?wherein the fitting procedure involves calculation of a theoretical distribution function of the number of photon counts P(n) through its generating function, defined as G ? ( ? ? ) = ? n ? ? ? n ? P ? ( n ) .

Abstract: The invention provides a method for identifying the impacts of interfering effects on experimental data. In particular, a method is described for identifying the impacts of unwanted auto-fluorescence, fluorescence quenching, and deterioration of a fluorescent sample under study on the collected experimental data. The data are analyzed whether or not said data fulfill certain criteria with respect to a threshold which is indicative for said interfering effect.

Abstract: A method for characterizing samples having fluorescent particles, by monitoring fluctuating intensities of radiation emitted by said particles in at least one measurement volume, the monitoring being performed by at least one detection means, said method comprising the steps of: a) measuring in a repetitive mode a length of time intervals between photon counts, b) determining a function or a series of functions of the length of said time intervals, c) determining a function of at least one specific physical property of said particles on basis of said function or said series of functions of the length of time intervals, by finding a close fit between the experimentally determined and a theoretical function or series of functions of the length of said time intervals, the latter of which takes into account parameters of the spatial brightness function characteristic for the optical set-up.

Abstract: A method characterizes fluorescent molecules or other particles in samples by a) monitoring fluctuating intensity of fluorescence emitted by the molecules or other particles in at least one measurement volume of a non-uniform spatial brightness profile by measuring numbers of photon counts in primary time intervals by a single or more photon detectors, b) determining at least one distribution function of numbers of photon counts, {circumflex over (P)}(n), from the measured numbers of photon counts, c) determining physical quantities characteristic to the particles by fitting the experimentally determined distribution function of numbers of photon counts, wherein the fitting procedure involves calculation of a theoretical distribution function of the number of photon counts P(n) through its generating function, defined as G ⁡ ( ζ _ ) = ∑ n ⁢