RAMAS-Net: a module-optimized convolutional network model for aortic valve stenosis recognition in echocardiography

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a valvular heart disease that obstructs normal blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta due to pathological changes in the valve, leading to impaired cardiac function. Echocardiography is a key diagnostic tool for AS; however, its accuracy is influenced by inter-observer variability, operator experience, and image quality, which can result in misdiagnosis. Therefore, alternative methods are needed to assist healthcare professionals in achieving more accurate diagnoses.

We proposed a deep learning model, RSMAS-Net, for the automated identification and diagnosis of AS using echocardiography. The model enhanced the ResNet50 backbone by replacing Stage 4 with Spatial and Channel Reconstruction Convolution (SCConv) and Multi-Dconv Head Transposed Attention (MDTA) modules, aiming to reduce redundant computations and improve feature extraction capabilities.

The proposed method was evaluated on the TMED-2 echocardiography dataset, achieving an accuracy of 94.67%, an F ₁-score of 94.37%, and an AUC of 0.95 for AS identification. Additionally, the model achieved an AUC of 0.93 for AS severity classification on TMED-2. RSMAS-Net outperformed multiple baseline models in recall, precision, parameter efficiency, and inference time. It also achieved an AUC of 0.91 on the TMED-1 dataset.

RSMAS-Net effectively diagnoses and classifies the severity of AS in echocardiographic images. The integration of SCConv and MDTA modules enhances diagnostic accuracy while reducing model complexity compared to the original ResNet50 architecture. These results highlight the potential of RSMAS-Net in improving AS assessment and supporting clinical decision-making.