A Novel Coronary Artery Registration Method Based on Super-pixel Particle Swarm Optimization

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a minimally invasive procedure that improves coronary blood flow and treats coronary artery disease. Although PCI typically requires 2D X-ray angiography (XRA) to guide catheter placement at real-time, computed tomography angiography (CTA) may substantially improve PCI by providing precise information of 3D vascular anatomy and status. To leverage real-time XRA and detailed 3D CTA anatomy for PCI, accurate multimodal image registration of XRA and CTA is required, to guide the procedure and avoid complications. This is a challenging process as it requires registration of images from different geometrical modalities (2D -> 3D and vice versa), with variations in contrast and noise levels. In this paper, we propose a novel multimodal coronary artery image registration method based on a swarm optimization algorithm, which effectively addresses challenges such as large deformations, low contrast, and noise across these imaging modalities. Our algorithm consists of two main modules: 1) preprocessing of XRA and CTA images separately, and 2) a registration module based on feature extraction using the Steger and Superpixel Particle Swarm Optimization algorithms. Our technique was evaluated on a pilot dataset of 28 pairs of XRA and CTA images from 10 patients who underwent PCI. The algorithm was compared with four state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods in terms of registration accuracy, robustness, and efficiency. Our method outperformed the selected SOTA baselines in all aspects. Experimental results demonstrate the significant effectiveness of our algorithm, surpassing the previous benchmarks and proposes a novel clinical approach that can potentially have merit for improving patient outcomes in coronary artery disease.

Advancing Efficient Brain Tumor Multi-Class Classification -- New Insights from the Vision Mamba Model in Transfer Learning

Early and accurate diagnosis of brain tumors is crucial for improving patient survival rates. However, the detection and classification of brain tumors are challenging due to their diverse types and complex morphological characteristics. This study investigates the application of pre-trained models for brain tumor classification, with a particular focus on deploying the Mamba model. We fine-tuned several mainstream transfer learning models and applied them to the multi-class classification of brain tumors. By comparing these models to those trained from scratch, we demonstrated the significant advantages of transfer learning, especially in the medical imaging field, where annotated data is often limited. Notably, we introduced the Vision Mamba (Vim), a novel network architecture, and applied it for the first time in brain tumor classification, achieving exceptional classification accuracy. Experimental results indicate that the Vim model achieved 100% classification accuracy on an independent test set, emphasizing its potential for tumor classification tasks. These findings underscore the effectiveness of transfer learning in brain tumor classification and reveal that, compared to existing state-of-the-art models, the Vim model is lightweight, efficient, and highly accurate, offering a new perspective for clinical applications. Furthermore, the framework proposed in this study for brain tumor classification, based on transfer learning and the Vision Mamba model, is broadly applicable to other medical imaging classification problems.

Deep-Sea A*+: An Advanced Path Planning Method Integrating Enhanced A* and Dynamic Window Approach for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

As terrestrial resources become increasingly depleted, the demand for deep-sea resource exploration has intensified. However, the extreme conditions in the deep-sea environment pose significant challenges for underwater operations, necessitating the development of robust detection robots. In this paper, we propose an advanced path planning methodology that integrates an improved A* algorithm with the Dynamic Window Approach (DWA). By optimizing the search direction of the traditional A* algorithm and introducing an enhanced evaluation function, our improved A* algorithm accelerates path searching and reduces computational load. Additionally, the path-smoothing process has been refined to improve continuity and smoothness, minimizing sharp turns. This method also integrates global path planning with local dynamic obstacle avoidance via DWA, improving the real-time response of underwater robots in dynamic environments. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed method surpasses the traditional A* algorithm in terms of path smoothness, obstacle avoidance, and real-time performance. The robustness of this approach in complex environments with both static and dynamic obstacles highlights its potential in autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) navigation and obstacle avoidance.