Content aware image restoration improves spatiotemporal resolution in luminescence imaging

Content-aware image restoration (CARE) is extended to luminescence imaging allowing shorter exposure times thus improving temporal resolution and throughput. Luminescent reporters are due to their intrinsically high signal-to-noise ratio a powerful labelling tool for microscopy and macroscopic in vivo imaging in biomedical research. However, luminescence signal detection requires longer exposure times than fluorescence imaging and is consequently less suited for applications requiring high temporal resolution or throughput. Here we demonstrate that content aware image restoration can drastically reduce the exposure time requirements in luminescence imaging, thus overcoming one of the major limitations of the technique.

Automated summary

Content-aware image restoration (CARE) is extended to luminescence imaging to overcome the limitation of longer exposure times, thus improving temporal resolution and throughput. Luminescent reporters, with inherently high signal-to-noise ratio, are powerful labeling tools for microscopy and in vivo imaging in biomedical research. However, the requirement of longer exposure times in luminescence imaging limits its application in high temporal resolution or throughput. This study demonstrates that CARE can significantly reduce the exposure time requirements in luminescence imaging.