# Super-Resolution and Denoising of Corneal B-Scan OCT Imaging Using Diffusion Model Plug-and-Play Priors

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.02795 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.02795/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Medical imaging and segmentation, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models.
- Builds on 12 of its 21 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 2 Feb 2026.

## Placed in

- Diffusion models / [Medical imaging and segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/diffusion/medical-imaging-and-segmentation/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.11239/) (2020)
- [Score-Based Generative Modeling through Stochastic Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.13456/) (2020)
- [Elucidating the Design Space of Diffusion-Based Generative Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.00364/) (2022)
- [Denoising Diffusion Restoration Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11793/) (2022)
- [GAN Prior Embedded Network for Blind Face Restoration in the Wild](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.06070/) (2021)
- [Principled Probabilistic Imaging using Diffusion Models as Plug-and-Play Priors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.18782/) (2024)
- [Split-and-augmented Gibbs sampler - Application to large-scale inference problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.05809/) (2018)
- [The Neural Networks Based Needle Detection for Medical Retinal Surgery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.05034/) (2023)
- [Reimagining partial thickness keratoplasty: An eye mountable robot for autonomous big bubble needle insertion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.14577/) (2024)
- [Topology-based deep-learning segmentation method for deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) surgical guidance using M-mode OCT data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.04735/) (2025)
- [Kalman filter/deep-learning hybrid automatic boundary tracking of optical coherence tomography data for deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.15311/) (2025)
- [PSI3D: Plug-and-Play 3D Stochastic Inference with Slice-wise Latent Diffusion Prior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.18367/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is pivotal in corneal imaging for both surgical planning and diagnosis. However, high-speed acquisitions often degrade spatial resolution and increase speckle noise, posing challenges for accurate interpretation. We propose an advanced super-resolution framework leveraging diffusion model plug-and-play (PnP) priors to achieve 4x spatial resolution enhancement alongside effective denoising of OCT Bscan images. Our approach formulates reconstruction as a principled Bayesian inverse problem, combining Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling with pretrained generative priors to enforce anatomical consistency. We comprehensively validate the framework using in vivo fisheye corneal datasets, to assess robustness and scalability under diverse clinical settings. Comparative experiments against bicubic interpolation, conventional supervised U-Net baselines, and alternative diffusion priors demonstrate that our method consistently yields more precise anatomical structures, improved delineation of corneal layers, and superior noise suppression. Quantitative results show state-of-the-art performance in peak signal-to-noise ratio, structural similarity index, and perceptual metrics. This work highlights the potential of diffusion-driven plug-and-play reconstruction to deliver high-fidelity, high-resolution OCT imaging, supporting more reliable clinical assessments and enabling advanced image-guided interventions. Our findings suggest the approach can be extended to other biomedical imaging modalities requiring robust super-resolution and denoising.