K. Muthukumar

K. A. Muthukumar, Dhruva Nandi, Priya Ranjan et al.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a predominant health concern globally, emphasizing the need for advanced diagnostic techniques. In our research, we present an avant-garde methodology that synergistically integrates ECG readings and retinal fundus images to facilitate the early disease tagging as well as triaging of the CVDs in the order of disease priority. Recognizing the intricate vascular network of the retina as a reflection of the cardiovascular system, alongwith the dynamic cardiac insights from ECG, we sought to provide a holistic diagnostic perspective. Initially, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was applied to both the ECG and fundus images, transforming the data into the frequency domain. Subsequently, the Earth Mover's Distance (EMD) was computed for the frequency-domain features of both modalities. These EMD values were then concatenated, forming a comprehensive feature set that was fed into a Neural Network classifier. This approach, leveraging the FFT's spectral insights and EMD's capability to capture nuanced data differences, offers a robust representation for CVD classification. Preliminary tests yielded a commendable accuracy of 84 percent, underscoring the potential of this combined diagnostic strategy. As we continue our research, we anticipate refining and validating the model further to enhance its clinical applicability in resource limited healthcare ecosystems prevalent across the Indian sub-continent and also the world at large.

Muthukumar K A, Amit Gurung, Priya Ranjan

Classifying 3D MRI images for early detection of Alzheimer's disease is a critical task in medical imaging. Traditional approaches using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Transformers face significant challenges in this domain. CNNs, while effective in capturing local spatial features, struggle with long-range dependencies and often require extensive computational resources for high-resolution 3D data. Transformers, on the other hand, excel in capturing global context but suffer from quadratic complexity in inference time and require substantial memory, making them less efficient for large-scale 3D MRI data. To address these limitations, we propose the use of Vision Mamba, an advanced model based on State Space Models (SSMs), for the classification of 3D MRI images to detect Alzheimer's disease. Vision Mamba leverages dynamic state representations and the selective scan algorithm, allowing it to efficiently capture and retain important spatial information across 3D volumes. By dynamically adjusting state transitions based on input features, Vision Mamba can selectively retain relevant information, leading to more accurate and computationally efficient processing of 3D MRI data. Our approach combines the parallelizable nature of convolutional operations during training with the efficient, recurrent processing of states during inference. This architecture not only improves computational efficiency but also enhances the model's ability to handle long-range dependencies within 3D medical images. Experimental results demonstrate that Vision Mamba outperforms traditional CNN and Transformer models accuracy, making it a promising tool for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease using 3D MRI data.