XTransCT: ultra-fast volumetric CT reconstruction using two orthogonal x-ray projections for image-guided radiation therapy via a transformer network

Abstract

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to reconstruct volumetric computed tomography (CT) images in real-time from ultra-sparse two-dimensional x-ray projections, facilitating easier navigation and positioning during image-guided radiation therapy. Approach. Our approach leverages a voxel-sapce-searching Transformer model to overcome the limitations of conventional CT reconstruction techniques, which require extensive x-ray projections and lead to high radiation doses and equipment constraints. Main results. The proposed XTransCT algorithm demonstrated superior performance in terms of image quality, structural accuracy, and generalizability across different datasets, including a hospital set of 50 patients, the large-scale public LIDC-IDRI dataset, and the LNDb dataset for cross-validation. Notably, the algorithm achieved an approximately 300% improvement in reconstruction speed, with a rate of 44 ms per 3D image reconstruction compared to former 3D convolution-based methods. Significance. The XTransCT architecture has the potential to impact clinical practice by providing high-quality CT images faster and with substantially reduced radiation exposure for patients. The model's generalizability suggests it has the potential applicable in various healthcare settings.