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COVID-19 disease classification based on analysis of chest X-rays
Šteflík, Dominik ; Kiac, Martin (referee) ; Myška, Vojtěch (advisor)
This diploma thesis addresses the development and evaluation of artificial intelligence algorithms for classifying COVID-19 disease from chest X-ray images. Given the severity and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global population, the ability to rapidly and accurately diagnose diseases from radiographic images has become critical. This study synthesizes current advancements in image processing and deep learning to evaluate the application of several novel classification methods in practice. Using a dataset obtained from a Czech medical environment, these methods are analyzed and validated in order to examine their effectiveness and accuracy in real life scenarios. The methods chosen for this study, COVID-Net, DarkCovidNet, and CoroNet, were selected due to their availability, widespread use and proven effectiveness in the field. The core of the thesis is the design of a convolutional neural network tailored to extract and learn from the subtle features present in X-ray images indicative of COVID-19. This initiative confronted significant challenges posed by variable acquisition parameters of X-ray images, which can substantially affect diagnostic accuracy. The uniformity of these parameters is crucial for reliable analysis, underscoring the importance of rigorous preprocessing techniques. In response, advanced normalization, contrast adjustment, and augmentation procedures were implemented to standardize the input data. The convolutional network itself employs a series of convolutional, pooling, and fully connected layers, optimized to handle the nuanced variations present in medical imaging data. Notably, the network architecture incorporates an attention mechanism, implemented through a Squeeze-and-Excitation block, to dynamically adjust the importance of different channels in the input image. By integrating these elements, the network model is trained to focus on significant features within the X-ray images, allowing it to distinguish subtle indicators of COVID-19 effectively. Furthermore, this work discusses the potential of integrating these AI-driven diagnostic tools into existing healthcare infrastructures to enhance early detection and treatment of COVID-19. The findings indicate that leveraging artificial intelligence in medical imaging can substantially aid in managing and controlling disease outbreaks, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes.
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