An unsupervised convolutional neural network-based algorithm for deformable image registration

: The purpose of the work is to develop a deep unsupervised learning strategy for cone-beam CT (CBCT) to CT deformable image registration (DIR). This technique uses a deep convolutional inverse graphics network (DCIGN) based DIR algorithm implemented on 2 Nvidia 1080 Ti graphics processing units. The model is comprised of an encoding and decoding stage. The fully-convolutional encoding stage learns hierarchical features and simultaneously forms an information bottleneck, while the decoding stage restores the original dimensionality of the input image. Activations from the encoding stage are used as the input channels to a sparse DIR algorithm. DCIGN was trained using a distributive learning-based convolutional neural network architecture and used 285 head and neck patients to train, validate, and test the algorithm. The accuracy of the DCIGN algorithm was evaluated on 100 synthetic cases and 12 hold out test patient cases. The results indicate that DCIGN performed better than rigid registration, intensity corrected Demons, and landmark-guided deformable image registration for all evaluation metrics. DCIGN required ~14 h to train, and ~3.5 s to make a prediction on a 512  ×  512  ×  120 voxel image. In conclusion, DCIGN is able to maintain high accuracy in the presence of CBCT noise contamination, while simultaneously preserving high computational efficiency.