# Neural Ordinary Differential Equation based Sequential Image Registration for Dynamic Characterization

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.02106 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.02106/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 5 of its 66 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 2 Apr 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Implicit Neural Representations with Periodic Activation Functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.09661/) (2020)
- [Adaptive Checkpoint Adjoint Method for Gradient Estimation in Neural ODE](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.02493/) (2020)
- [Learning Conditional Deformable Templates with Convolutional Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1908.02738/) (2019)
- [Medical Image Registration via Neural Fields](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.03111/) (2022)
- [Echocardiography Segmentation Using Neural ODE-based Diffeomorphic Registration Field](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.09687/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Deformable image registration (DIR) is crucial in medical image analysis, enabling the exploration of biological dynamics such as organ motions and longitudinal changes in imaging. Leveraging Neural Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) for registration, this extension work discusses how this framework can aid in the characterization of sequential biological processes. Utilizing the Neural ODE's ability to model state derivatives with neural networks, our Neural Ordinary Differential Equation Optimization-based (NODEO) framework considers voxels as particles within a dynamic system, defining deformation fields through the integration of neural differential equations. This method learns dynamics directly from data, bypassing the need for physical priors, making it exceptionally suitable for medical scenarios where such priors are unavailable or inapplicable. Consequently, the framework can discern underlying dynamics and use sequence data to regularize the transformation trajectory. We evaluated our framework on two clinical datasets: one for cardiac motion tracking and another for longitudinal brain MRI analysis. Demonstrating its efficacy in both 2D and 3D imaging scenarios, our framework offers flexibility and model agnosticism, capable of managing image sequences and facilitating label propagation throughout these sequences. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how the Neural ODE-based framework uniquely benefits the image registration challenge.