Deep Learning Model for COVID-19 Classification Using Fine Tuned ResNet50 on Chest X-Ray Images

Abstract

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive research has focused on deep learning methodologies for accurately diagnosing the virus from chest X-ray images. Various models, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and pre-trained models, have achieved accuracies ranging from 85.20% to 99.66%. However, the proposed Fine-Tuned ResNet50 model consistently outperforms others with an impressive accuracy of 98.20%. By leveraging on transfer learning and careful architectural design the proposed model demonstrates superior performance compared to previous studies using DarkNet, ResNet50, and pre-trained models. Graphical comparisons highlight its competitive edge, emphasizing its effectiveness in COVID-19 classification tasks. The ResNet50 architecture, known for its deep residual layers and skip connections, facilitates robust feature extraction and classification, especially in medical imaging. Data pre-processing techniques, like noise reduction and contrast enhancement, ensure input data quality and reliability, enhancing the model's predictive abilities. Training results reveal the model's steady accuracy improvement and loss reduction over 20 epochs, aligning closely with validation metrics. Evaluation on a test set of COVID-19 chest X-ray images confirms exceptional accuracy (98.20%), precision (99.00%), recall (98.82%), and F1-score (98.91%), highlighting its proficiency in identifying COVID-19 cases while minimizing false positives and negatives. Comparative analyses against prior studies further validate its superior performance, establishing the Fine-Tuned ResNet50 model as a reliable tool for COVID-19 diagnosis. Future research should focus on exploring ensemble learning techniques, interpretability methods, and stakeholder collaboration to ensure safe AI deployment in clinical settings. Moreover, larger and diverse datasets are crucial for validating model performance and improving generalization, ultimately enhancing patient care and public health outcomes in the mitigating COVID-19 and future pandemics.