Reflective Terahertz Medical Imaging Systems

Terahertz (THz) radiation is defined as the submillimeter (1 mm - 0.1 mm) electromagnetic spectrum with frequencies between 300 GHz and 3 THz, and is a relatively new and expanding area that promises unique imaging capability. Due to the high absorption of THz electromagnetic radiation in water, reflective THz imaging has distinct advantages over earlier transmission-based systems. Furthermore the high dielectric constant of water at these frequencies lends itself well to the detection of slight variations in water content of biological materials.

A reflective THz imaging system is being developed in collaboration with the Brown Research Group at UCSB. We are seeking to determine the viability of reflective THz imaging to various medical applications, while improving the prototype system's already high signal-to-noise ratio, sensitivity, and spatial resolution. Preliminary results have already been obtained on various soft tissues, and more applications are currently under extensive study.

Investigators:

Elliott Brown, PhD, UCSB Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Warren Grundfest, MD, UCLA Department of Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Surgery
Zachary Taylor, PhD, UCLA Department of Bioengineering

Graduate Students: Neha Bajwa, Shijun Sung

Publications in Peer Reviewed Journals:

Taylor ZD, Singh RS, Culjat MO, Suen J, Grundfest WS, Brown ER, "Reflective THz imaging of porcine skin burns," Optics Letters, 33(1).

Publications in Conference and Symposium Proceedings:

Singh RS, Taylor ZD, Culjat MO, Grundfest WS, Brown ER, "Towards THz medical imaging; reflective imaging of animal tissues," Proceedings of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 16: parallel, combinatorial, convergent: NextMed by design, 31 January - 1 February 2008, Long Beach, CA, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 132, 472-474, 2008.

Taylor ZD, Singh RS, Culjat MO, Suen JY, Grundfest WS, Brown ER, "THz imaging based on water-concentration contrast," Proceedings of SPIE Defense and Security, 16-20 March 2008, Orlando, FL, 6949, OD-1-OD-8.

Abstracts:

Singh RS, Taylor ZD, Culjat MO, Grundfest WS, Brown ER, "Towards THz medical imaging; reflective imaging of animal tissues," Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 16: parallel, combinatorial, convergent: NextMed by design, 31 January - 1 February 2008, Long Beach, CA, 2008.

This work is funded in part by the National Science Foundation under grant # IHCS-801897. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.