Building a patient-specific model using transfer learning for four-dimensional cone beam computed tomography augmentation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We previously developed a deep learning model to augment the quality of four-dimensional (4D) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, the model was trained using group data, and thus was not optimized for individual patients. Consequently, the augmented images could not depict small anatomical structures, such as lung vessels. METHODS: In the present study, the transfer learning method was used to further improve the performance of the deep learning model for individual patients. Specifically, a U-Net-based model was first trained to augment 4D-CBCT using group data. Next, transfer learning was used to fine tune the model based on a specific patient's available data to improve its performance for that individual patient. Two types of transfer learning were studied: layer-freezing and whole-network fine-tuning. The performance of the transfer learning model was evaluated by comparing the augmented CBCT images with the ground truth images both qualitatively and quantitatively using a structure similarity index matrix (SSIM) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). The results were also compared to those obtained using only the U-Net method. RESULTS: Qualitatively, the patient-specific model recovered more detailed information of the lung area than the group-based U-Net model. Quantitatively, the SSIM improved from 0.924 to 0.958, and the PSNR improved from 33.77 to 38.42 for the whole volumetric images for the group-based U-Net and patient-specific models, respectively. The layer-freezing method was found to be more efficient than the whole-network fine-tuning method, and had a training time as short as 10 minutes. The effect of augmentation by transfer learning increased as the number of projections used for CBCT reconstruction decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the patient-specific model optimized by transfer learning was efficient and effective at improving image qualities of augmented undersampled three-dimensional (3D)- and 4D-CBCT images, and could be extremely valuable for applications in image-guided radiation therapy.