Measurement and modeling of optical properties of heated adipose tissue in the terahertz range

Abstract

Measurements and modeling of the optical properties of adipose tissue and its components in the terahertz range with a change in tissue temperature were carried out. It was shown that the optical density (OD) of adipose tissue samples decreases with increasing temperature, which can be mainly associated with dehydration of the sample. We can also expect some contribution to the decrease in the OD of suppression of THz wave scattering when matching the refractive indices of scatterers and their environment due to the intake of free fatty acids secreted by adipocytes due to thermally induced cell lipolysis. It is shown that in the experimental model, the difference between the THz absorption spectra of water and oil allows us to estimate the water content in adipose tissue. A comparison of the measurement results and molecular modeling in the terahertz region confirmed the hypothesis about the reasons for the change in the optical properties of heated adipose tissue.