imread_big -- read in TIFF stacks larger than 4GB

Load any size TIFF stack, even those larger than 4GB.

Tristan Ursell
Read large image stack (TIFF)
May 2019

This function can load image stacks larger than 4GB which is the typical limitation on image files. Designed to work with single-channel uncompressed TIFF stacks. Also works for files smaller than 4GB.

[stack_out,Nframes]= imread_big(stack_name);
[stack_out,Nframes]= imread_big(stack_name,[i j]);

stack_name = the path and file name to the image stack

[i j] = optional frame number range to load (i = j is allowed)

Nframes = number of frames as determined by total file size divided by estimated size of each frame data block

stack_out = the output image stack of size [M x N x Nframes], where M x N is the size of each image.