Chaotic medical image encryption method using attention mechanism fusion ResNet model.

Introduction: With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the protection of patient medical image privacy and security has become a critical concern in current research on image privacy protection. However, traditional methods for encrypting medical images have faced criticism due to their limited flexibility and inadequate security. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a novel chaotic medical image encryption method, called AT-ResNet-CM, which incorporates the attention mechanism fused with the ResNet model. Methods: The proposed method utilizes the ResNet model as the underlying network for constructing the encryption and decryption framework. The ResNet's residual structure and jump connections are employed to effectively extract profound information from medical images and expedite the model's convergence. To enhance security, the output of the ResNet model is encrypted using a logistic chaotic system, introducing randomness and complexity to the encryption process. Additionally, an attention mechanism is introduced to enhance the model's response to the region of interest within the medical image, thereby strengthening the security of the encrypted network. Results: Experimental simulations and analyses were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms alternative models in terms of encryption effectiveness, as indicated by a horizontal correlation coefficient of 0.0021 and information entropy of 0.9887. Furthermore, the incorporation of the attention mechanism significantly improves the encryption performance, reducing the horizontal correlation coefficient to 0.0010 and increasing the information entropy to 0.9965. These findings validate the efficacy of the proposed method for medical image encryption tasks, as it offers enhanced security and flexibility compared to existing approaches. Discussion: In conclusion, the AT-ResNet-CM method presents a promising solution to address the limitations of traditional encryption techniques in protecting patient medical images. By leveraging the attention mechanism fused with the ResNet model, the method achieves improved security and flexibility. The experimental results substantiate the superiority of the proposed method in terms of encryption effectiveness, horizontal correlation coefficient, and information entropy. The proposed method not only addresses the shortcomings of traditional methods but also provides a more robust and reliable approach for safeguarding patient medical image privacy and security.