Efficient sparse-view medical image classification for low radiation and rapid COVID-19 diagnosis

This study proposes a deep learning-based diagnostic model called the Projection-wise Masked Autoencoder (ProMAE) for rapid and accurate COVID-19 diagnosis using sparse-view CT images. ProMAE employs a column-wise masking strategy during pre-training to effectively learn critical diagnostic features from sinograms, even under extremely sparse conditions. The trained ProMAE can directly classify sparse-view sinograms without requiring CT image reconstruction. Experiments on sparse-view data with 50%, 75%, 85%, 95%, and 99% sparsity show that ProMAE achieves a diagnostic accuracy of over 95% at all sparsity levels and, in particular, outperforms ResNet, ConvNeXt, and conventional MAE models in COVID-19 diagnosis in environments with 85% or higher sparsity. This capability is especially advantageous for the development of portable and flexible imaging systems during large-scale outbreaks such as COVID-19, as it ensures accurate diagnosis while minimizing radiation exposure, making it a vital tool in resource-limited and high-demand settings.