A Hybrid Residual Attention Convolutional Neural Network for Compressed Sensing Magnetic Resonance Image Reconstruction

Cardiac MR image reconstruction using cascaded hybrid dual domain deep learning framework

Recovering diagnostic-quality cardiac MR images from highly under-sampled data is a current research focus, particularly in addressing cardiac and respiratory motion. Techniques such as Compressed Sensing (CS) and Parallel Imaging (pMRI) have been proposed to accelerate MRI data acquisition and improve image quality. However, these methods have limitations in high spatial-resolution applications, often resulting in blurring or residual artifacts. Recently, deep learning-based techniques have gained attention for their accuracy and efficiency in image reconstruction. Deep learning-based MR image reconstruction methods are divided into two categories: (a) single domain methods (image domain learning and k-space domain learning) and (b) cross/dual domain methods. Single domain methods, which typically use U-Net in either the image or k-space domain, fail to fully exploit the correlation between these domains. This paper introduces a dual-domain deep learning approach that incorporates multi-coil data consistency (MCDC) layers for reconstructing cardiac MR images from 1-D Variable Density (VD) random under-sampled data. The proposed hybrid dual-domain deep learning models integrate data from both the domains to improve image quality, reduce artifacts, and enhance overall robustness and accuracy of the reconstruction process. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methods outperform than conventional deep learning and CS techniques, as evidenced by higher Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), lower Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and higher Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR).

Swin Transformer and the Unet Architecture to Correct Motion Artifacts in Magnetic Resonance Image Reconstruction

We present a deep learning-based method that corrects motion artifacts and thus accelerates data acquisition and reconstruction of magnetic resonance images. The novel model, the Motion Artifact Correction by Swin Network (MACS-Net), uses a Swin transformer layer as the fundamental block and the Unet architecture as the neural network backbone. We employ a hierarchical transformer with shifted windows to extract multiscale contextual features during encoding. A new dual upsampling technique is employed to enhance the spatial resolutions of feature maps in the Swin transformer-based decoder layer. A raw magnetic resonance imaging dataset is used for network training and testing; the data contain various motion artifacts with ground truth images of the same subjects. The results were compared to six state-of-the-art MRI image motion correction methods using two types of motions. When motions were brief (within 5 s), the method reduced the average normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) from 45.25% to 17.51%, increased the mean structural similarity index measure (SSIM) from 79.43% to 91.72%, and increased the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) from 18.24 to 26.57 dB. Similarly, when motions were extended from 5 to 10 s, our approach decreased the average NRMSE from 60.30% to 21.04%, improved the mean SSIM from 33.86% to 90.33%, and increased the PSNR from 15.64 to 24.99 dB. The anatomical structures of the corrected images and the motion-free brain data were similar.

A Systematic Review and Identification of the Challenges of Deep Learning Techniques for Undersampled Magnetic Resonance Image Reconstruction

Deep learning (DL) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows excellent performance in image reconstruction from undersampled k-space data. Artifact-free and high-quality MRI reconstruction is essential for ensuring accurate diagnosis, supporting clinical decision-making, enhancing patient safety, facilitating efficient workflows, and contributing to the validity of research studies and clinical trials. Recently, deep learning has demonstrated several advantages over conventional MRI reconstruction methods. Conventional methods rely on manual feature engineering to capture complex patterns and are usually computationally demanding due to their iterative nature. Conversely, DL methods use neural networks with hundreds of thousands of parameters and automatically learn relevant features and representations directly from the data. Nevertheless, there are some limitations to DL-based techniques concerning MRI reconstruction tasks, such as the need for large, labeled datasets, the possibility of overfitting, and the complexity of model training. Researchers are striving to develop DL models that are more efficient, adaptable, and capable of providing valuable information for medical practitioners. We provide a comprehensive overview of the current developments and clinical uses by focusing on state-of-the-art DL architectures and tools used in MRI reconstruction. This study has three objectives. Our main objective is to describe how various DL designs have changed over time and talk about cutting-edge tactics, including their advantages and disadvantages. Hence, data pre- and post-processing approaches are assessed using publicly available MRI datasets and source codes. Secondly, this work aims to provide an extensive overview of the ongoing research on transformers and deep convolutional neural networks for rapid MRI reconstruction. Thirdly, we discuss several network training strategies, like supervised, unsupervised, transfer learning, and federated learning for rapid and efficient MRI reconstruction. Consequently, this article provides significant resources for future improvement of MRI data pre-processing and fast image reconstruction.