Innovative Application of Hybrid Deep Learning and Quantum Machine Learning in Polyp Segmentation from Colonoscopy Images

This project innovatively combines the U-Net deep learning architecture with quantum machine learning to achieve accurate polyp segmentation from colonoscopy images. The model is trained on open-source datasets and deployed as an interactive web application via the Streamlit framework, aiming to assist endoscopists in reducing polyp missed detection rates and improving colorectal cancer screening effectiveness.

Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality globally; early detection is key to reducing mortality. Colonoscopy is the gold standard, but it relies on doctors' experience and easily misses tiny polyps. As the main precursor lesion of colorectal cancer (about 85% of colorectal cancers originate from adenomatous polyps), traditional visual observation has problems such as strong subjectivity and high missed detection rates (6%-27%), so precise automatic segmentation technology is urgently needed.

Deep learning (especially convolutional neural networks) has shown outstanding performance in medical image analysis. Deep learning-based automatic polyp detection/segmentation systems can reduce missed detection rates, but still face challenges such as blurred boundaries and small target detection. Quantum machine learning uses the superposition and entanglement properties of qubits, which has potential advantages in high-dimensional feature exploration and optimization convergence, bringing new possibilities to medical image analysis.

U-Net Backbone Network: Uses an encoder-decoder structure + skip connections to extract multi-scale features, retain high-resolution details, and generate pixel-level segmentation masks. Quantum ML Component: Introduces variational quantum circuits to map classical data to high-dimensional Hilbert space, capture complex patterns, and alternately stack with classical networks to form a hybrid architecture. Open-Source Datasets and Training: Uses open-source datasets such as CVC-ClinicDB and Kvasir-SEG, improves generalization ability through data augmentation (rotation, scaling, etc.), and uses Dice loss or cross-entropy loss to optimize segmentation accuracy.

The project is deployed as a web application via the Streamlit framework, with features including:

1. Image Upload and Preprocessing: Automatically adjusts size and normalizes to adapt to model input;
2. Real-Time Segmentation and Visualization: Overlays segmentation results on the original image after model inference to intuitively display polyp areas;
3. Result Export and Reporting: Supports exporting analysis results as images or documents for easy clinical recording.

Challenges faced by the project and their solutions:

1. Quantum-Classical Interface Design: Needs to carefully design data encoding (classical → quantum state), quantum circuit processing, and measurement decoding (quantum → classical) processes;
2. Training Stability: Uses parameter shift rules to optimize quantum circuit parameters, balancing model complexity and training efficiency;
3. Dataset Quality: Improves data quality through multi-expert consensus annotation or semi-supervised learning to reduce the impact of annotation differences.

Clinical Significance: Even without considering the quantum component, the U-Net segmentation system can already assist physicians in improving efficiency and reducing missed detections; the exploration of the hybrid architecture lays the foundation for the application of quantum technology in the medical field. Future Outlook: With the maturity of quantum hardware and algorithm optimization, hybrid models may play a greater role; interdisciplinary research will promote the collaborative progress of computer science, quantum physics, and clinical medicine.