Wide dynamic range imaging

摘要

Systems and methods are described for extending the dynamic range of imaging systems, and more particularly fluorescence or luminescence imaging systems, having low optical background and a linear detector response. Images of a sample at each of a set of exposure times are acquired, a system-level dark estimate for each exposure time is subtracted from each image to form dark-corrected images, and the different exposures (dark-corrected images) are merged into a wider dynamic-range image. Typically merging is performed on a pixel-by pixel basis.

主权项

1. A method for extending a dynamic range of an imaging system, the method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of images of a sample using a detector with a linear response, each sample image being acquired with a different exposure time, each sample image having a plurality of pixels; obtaining a dark calibration line fit from memory, the dark calibration line fit based on values of corresponding pixels from multiple dark calibration images, at least one dark calibration image having a longer exposure time than another of the dark calibration images, wherein the dark calibration line fit represents a dark image value for each corresponding pixel as a function of exposure time; determining a system-level dark value for each pixel in the sample images, based on the exposure time of the sample image and the dark calibration line fit, to create a system-level dark calibration image; subtracting from each sample image the system-level dark calibration image corresponding to the exposure time for each sample image to produce a plurality of dark-corrected images; and fitting a linear regression to values of pixels that correspond between the dark-corrected images to determine a merged pixel value.