# Can Deep Learning Outperform Modern Commercial CT Image Reconstruction Methods?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.03691 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.03691/

## Key facts

- Cited by 54 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 8 Nov 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 30 of 54)

- [CoreDiff: Contextual Error-Modulated Generalized Diffusion Model for Low-Dose CT Denoising and Generalization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.01814/) (2023)
- [DU-GAN: Generative Adversarial Networks with Dual-Domain U-Net Based Discriminators for Low-Dose CT Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.10772/) (2021)
- [CTformer: Convolution-free Token2Token Dilated Vision Transformer for Low-dose CT Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.13517/) (2022)
- [Generative Modeling in Sinogram Domain for Sparse-view CT Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.13926/) (2022)
- [TED-net: Convolution-free T2T Vision Transformer-based Encoder-decoder Dilation network for Low-dose CT Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.04650/) (2021)
- [Diffusion Probabilistic Priors for Zero-Shot Low-Dose CT Image Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.15887/) (2023)
- [IQAGPT: Image Quality Assessment with Vision-language and ChatGPT Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.15663/) (2023)
- [ASCON: Anatomy-aware Supervised Contrastive Learning Framework for Low-dose CT Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.12225/) (2023)
- [Physics-/Model-Based and Data-Driven Methods for Low-Dose Computed Tomography: A survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.15725/) (2022)
- [Low-Dose CT Denoising via Sinogram Inner-Structure Transformer](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.03163/) (2022)
- [LIT-Former: Linking In-plane and Through-plane Transformers for Simultaneous CT Image Denoising and Deblurring](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.10630/) (2023)
- [DenoMamba: A fused state-space model for low-dose CT denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.13094/) (2024)
- [Noise-Inspired Diffusion Model for Generalizable Low-Dose CT Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.22012/) (2025)
- [Recent Progress in Transformer-based Medical Image Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.06643/) (2022)
- [Deep learning-driven pulmonary artery and vein segmentation reveals demography-associated vasculature anatomical differences](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.07671/) (2024)
- [Quad-Net: Quad-domain Network for CT Metal Artifact Reduction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.11678/) (2022)
- [Lesion-Inspired Denoising Network: Connecting Medical Image Denoising and Lesion Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.08845/) (2021)
- [Low-dose CT Denoising with Language-engaged Dual-space Alignment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.06128/) (2024)
- [MedDiff-FM: A Diffusion-based Foundation Model for Versatile Medical Image Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.15432/) (2024)
- [Lightweight Medical Image Restoration via Integrating Reliable Lesion-Semantic Driven Prior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.11286/) (2025)
- [Provably Convergent Learned Inexact Descent Algorithm for Low-Dose CT Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.12939/) (2021)
- [PFCM: Poisson flow consistency models for low-dose CT image denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.08159/) (2024)
- [Masked Autoencoders for Low dose CT denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.04944/) (2022)
- [PPFM: Image denoising in photon-counting CT using single-step posterior sampling Poisson flow generative models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.09754/) (2023)
- [MANAS: Multi-Scale and Multi-Level Neural Architecture Search for Low-Dose CT Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.12995/) (2021)
- [Limited Parameter Denoising for Low-dose X-ray Computed Tomography Using Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.14794/) (2022)
- [Low-Dose CT Using Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Model for 20× Speedup](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.15136/) (2022)
- [FedFTN: Personalized Federated Learning with Deep Feature Transformation Network for Multi-institutional Low-count PET Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.00570/) (2023)
- [Simulation of Arbitrary Level Contrast Dose in MRI Using an Iterative Global Transformer Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.11980/) (2023)
- [LangMamba: A Language-driven Mamba Framework for Low-dose CT Denoising with Vision-language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.06140/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Commercial iterative reconstruction techniques on modern CT scanners target radiation dose reduction but there are lingering concerns over their impact on image appearance and low contrast detectability. Recently, machine learning, especially deep learning, has been actively investigated for CT. Here we design a novel neural network architecture for low-dose CT (LDCT) and compare it with commercial iterative reconstruction methods used for standard of care CT. While popular neural networks are trained for end-to-end mapping, driven by big data, our novel neural network is intended for end-to-process mapping so that intermediate image targets are obtained with the associated search gradients along which the final image targets are gradually reached. This learned dynamic process allows to include radiologists in the training loop to optimize the LDCT denoising workflow in a task-specific fashion with the denoising depth as a key parameter. Our progressive denoising network was trained with the Mayo LDCT Challenge Dataset, and tested on images of the chest and abdominal regions scanned on the CT scanners made by three leading CT vendors. The best deep learning based reconstructions are systematically compared to the best iterative reconstructions in a double-blinded reader study. It is found that our deep learning approach performs either comparably or favorably in terms of noise suppression and structural fidelity, and runs orders of magnitude faster than the commercial iterative CT reconstruction algorithms.