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Temporal pixel multiplexing for simultaneous high-speed, high-resolution imaging

Nature Methods volume 7, pages 209–211 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

We introduce an imaging modality that, by offsetting pixel-exposure times during capture of a single image frame, embeds temporal information in each frame. This allows simultaneous acquisition of full-resolution images at native detector frame rates and high-speed image sequences at reduced resolution, without increasing bandwidth requirements. We demonstrate this method using macroscopic and microscopic examples, including imaging calcium transients in heart cells at 250 Hz using a 10-Hz megapixel camera.

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Figure 1: Schematic of TPM principle.
Figure 2: Functional TPM prototype.

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Acknowledgements

We thank P. Cobden and R. Vaughan-Jones for providing isolated cells, A. Garny for help with editing, and Oxford University's Isis Innovation, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the British Heart Foundation for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford, UK

    Gil Bub, Michiel Helmes, Peter Lee & Peter Kohl

  2. Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Matthias Tecza

Authors
  1. Gil Bub
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  2. Matthias Tecza
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  3. Michiel Helmes
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  4. Peter Lee
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  5. Peter Kohl
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Contributions

G.B. developed the original concept; G.B. and M.T. designed and built the apparatus; M.H., P.L. and P.K. gave technical and/or conceptual support; G.B. performed experiments; G.B. and P.K. wrote the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gil Bub.

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Competing interests

Oxford University's Isis Innovation has filed a patent application with the corresponding author describing the temporal pixel multiplexing concept.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1–4 (PDF 1320 kb)

Supplementary Video 1

A 400 fps movie taken using a 20 fps camera. Two high-resolution images (1,000 × 1,000 pixels, acquired at 25 fps, see Figure 2b for the first image in the high-resolution sequence) are decoded into 32 250 × 250 pixel subframes with an effective frame rate of 400 fps, showing a milk drop falling into a beaker of water. (MOV 504 kb)

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Bub, G., Tecza, M., Helmes, M. et al. Temporal pixel multiplexing for simultaneous high-speed, high-resolution imaging. Nat Methods 7, 209–211 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1429

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1429

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