# Constrained Probabilistic Mask Learning for Task-specific Undersampled MRI Reconstruction

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.16376 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.16376/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 23 of its 41 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 25 May 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 23 of 23)

- [Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6980/) (2014)
- [PyTorch: An Imperative Style, High-Performance Deep Learning Library](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.01703/) (2019)
- [U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.04597/) (2015)
- [Categorical Reparameterization with Gumbel-Softmax](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1611.01144/) (2016)
- [To prune, or not to prune: exploring the efficacy of pruning for model compression](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.01878/) (2017)
- [Identifying the Best Machine Learning Algorithms for Brain Tumor Segmentation, Progression Assessment, and Overall Survival Prediction in the BRATS Challenge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.02629/) (2018)
- [fastMRI: An Open Dataset and Benchmarks for Accelerated MRI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.08839/) (2018)
- [Score-based diffusion models for accelerated MRI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.05243/) (2021)
- [Adaptive Diffusion Priors for Accelerated MRI Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.05876/) (2022)
- [Towards performant and reliable undersampled MR reconstruction via diffusion model sampling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.04292/) (2022)
- [Effective Sparsification of Neural Networks with Global Sparsity Constraint](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.01571/) (2021)
- [Learning-based Optimization of the Under-sampling Pattern in MRI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1901.01960/) (2019)
- [B-spline Parameterized Joint Optimization of Reconstruction and K-space Trajectories (BJORK) for Accelerated 2D MRI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.11369/) (2021)
- [fastMRI+: Clinical Pathology Annotations for Knee and Brain Fully Sampled Multi-Coil MRI Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.03812/) (2021)
- [PILOT: Physics-Informed Learned Optimized Trajectories for Accelerated MRI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1909.05773/) (2019)
- [A Learnable Variational Model for Joint Multimodal MRI Reconstruction and Synthesis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.03804/) (2022)
- [Joint learning of cartesian undersampling and reconstruction for accelerated MRI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.09324/) (2019)
- [Optimal MRI Undersampling Patterns for Ultimate Benefit of Medical Vision Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.04914/) (2021)
- [Towards Ultrafast MRI via Extreme k-Space Undersampling and Superresolution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.02940/) (2021)
- [Undersampled MRI Reconstruction with Side Information-Guided Normalisation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.03196/) (2022)
- [PUERT: Probabilistic Under-sampling and Explicable Reconstruction Network for CS-MRI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.11189/) (2022)
- [Invertible Sharpening Network for MRI Reconstruction Enhancement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.02838/) (2022)
- [A Projection-Based K-space Transformer Network for Undersampled Radial MRI Reconstruction with Limited Training Subjects](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.07219/) (2022)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Can LLMs Estimate Student Struggles? Human-AI Difficulty Alignment with Proficiency Simulation for Item Difficulty Prediction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.18880/) (2025)
- [Distilling Knowledge for Designing Computational Imaging Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.17898/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Undersampling is a common method in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to subsample the number of data points in k-space, reducing acquisition times at the cost of decreased image quality. A popular approach is to employ undersampling patterns following various strategies, e.g., variable density sampling or radial trajectories. In this work, we propose a method that directly learns the undersampling masks from data points, thereby also providing task- and domain-specific patterns. To solve the resulting discrete optimization problem, we propose a general optimization routine called ProM: A fully probabilistic, differentiable, versatile, and model-free framework for mask optimization that enforces acceleration factors through a convex constraint. Analyzing knee, brain, and cardiac MRI datasets with our method, we discover that different anatomic regions reveal distinct optimal undersampling masks, demonstrating the benefits of using custom masks, tailored for a downstream task. For example, ProM can create undersampling masks that maximize performance in downstream tasks like segmentation with networks trained on fully-sampled MRIs. Even with extreme acceleration factors, ProM yields reasonable performance while being more versatile than existing methods, paving the way for data-driven all-purpose mask generation.