QuantumBoostNet: A Hybrid Classical-Quantum Architecture for Enhanced Accuracy in Cardiac Ultrasound View Identification

Abstract: Accurate identification of the correct view or angle in cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) is a critical component of cardiologic imaging. This step is essential for precise anatomical interpretation, reliable measurement, and the reduction of clinical errors. Although computer vision has advanced significantly, most state-of-the-art models perform well on standard benchmarks but often yield suboptimal results in specialized medical imaging tasks due to the high level of noise present in the data. QuantumBoostNet, a hybrid classical-quantum architecture, is introduced to address these challenges. This model integrates a classical backbone with two heads: one classical and one quantum, with the quantum head implemented as a parametrized 10-qubit quantum circuit. Training occurs in two stages, with an adaptive transition between heads governed by a mixing parameter that monitors loss dynamics. Extensive experiments indicate that, despite the limited number of qubits that can be simulated, QuantumBoostNet consistently outperforms state-of-the-art classical and hybrid classical-quantum models in cardiac ultrasound view identification, achieving a relative improvement over the best competitor. QuantumBoostNet also demonstrates superior performance on established image classification benchmarks and exhibits robustness to noise. These findings support the continued development of hybrid classical-quantum models for specialized medical imaging applications.