CRUNet-MR-Univ: A Foundation Model for Diverse Cardiac MRI Reconstruction

AI in healthcare
Published: arXiv: 2601.04428v1
Authors

Donghang Lyu Marius Staring Hildo Lamb Mariya Doneva

Abstract

In recent years, deep learning has attracted increasing attention in the field of Cardiac MRI (CMR) reconstruction due to its superior performance over traditional methods, particularly in handling higher acceleration factors, highlighting its potential for real-world clinical applications. However, current deep learning methods remain limited in generalizability. CMR scans exhibit wide variability in image contrast, sampling patterns, scanner vendors, anatomical structures, and disease types. Most existing models are designed to handle only a single or narrow subset of these variations, leading to performance degradation when faced with distribution shifts. Therefore, it is beneficial to develop a unified model capable of generalizing across diverse CMR scenarios. To this end, we propose CRUNet-MR-Univ, a foundation model that leverages spatio-temporal correlations and prompt-based priors to effectively handle the full diversity of CMR scans. Our approach consistently outperforms baseline methods across a wide range of settings, highlighting its effectiveness and promise.

Paper Summary

Problem
Cardiac MRI (CMR) reconstruction is a crucial step in medical imaging, but current deep learning methods have limitations when it comes to generalizability. They often perform well in specific scenarios but struggle with diverse CMR scans due to variations in image contrast, sampling patterns, scanner vendors, anatomical structures, and disease types.
Key Innovation
The researchers propose a foundation model called CRUNet-MR-Univ that leverages spatio-temporal correlations and prompt-based priors to effectively handle the full diversity of CMR scans. This model combines an unrolled architecture with a Convolutional Recurrent U-Net (CRUNet) model and uses prompt-based priors to enhance generalization.
Practical Impact
The CRUNet-MR-Univ model has the potential to improve CMR reconstruction in real-world clinical applications. By generalizing across diverse CMR scenarios, it can provide high-quality images that are essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment. This model can also be used as a foundation for other medical image reconstruction tasks.
Analogy / Intuitive Explanation
Imagine trying to reconstruct a puzzle with many different pieces, each with its own unique shape and color. Traditional methods might focus on a specific subset of pieces, but CRUNet-MR-Univ is like a super-smart puzzle solver that can recognize and combine all the pieces, regardless of their differences. This allows it to create a complete and accurate image, even when the input data is diverse and complex.
Paper Information
Categories:
cs.CV cs.AI
Published Date:

arXiv ID:

2601.04428v1

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