CMISR: Circular Medical Image Super-Resolution

TL;DR

This paper introduces CMISR, a novel closed-loop framework for medical image super-resolution that unifies model-based and learning-based methods, achieving zero steady-state recovery error and superior reconstruction performance.

Contribution

It proposes a global feedback-based closed-cycle framework for MISR with mathematical proof of zero steady-state error and plug-and-play capability on existing algorithms.

Findings

CMISR outperforms traditional MISR in reconstruction quality.

It is especially effective on images with strong edges or high contrast.

The framework is adaptable to various existing MISR algorithms.

Abstract

Classical methods of medical image super-resolution (MISR) utilize open-loop architecture with implicit under-resolution (UR) unit and explicit super-resolution (SR) unit. The UR unit can always be given, assumed, or estimated, while the SR unit is elaborately designed according to various SR algorithms. The closed-loop feedback mechanism is widely employed in current MISR approaches and can efficiently improve their performance. The feedback mechanism may be divided into two categories: local feedback and global feedback. Therefore, this paper proposes a global feedback-based closed-cycle framework, circular MISR (CMISR), with unambiguous UR and advanced SR elements. Mathematical model and closed-loop equation of CMISR are built. Mathematical proof with Taylor-series approximation indicates that CMISR has zero recovery error in steady-state. In addition, CMISR holds plug-and-play characteristic that fuses model-based and learning-based approaches and can be established on any existing MISR algorithms. Five CMISR algorithms are respectively proposed based on the state-of-the-art open-loop MISR algorithms. Experimental results with three scale factors and on three open medical image datasets show that CMISR is superior to MISR in reconstruction performance and is particularly suited to medical images with strong edges or intense contrast.