Medical applications of terahertz imaging: a review of current technology and potential applications in biomedical engineering

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) imaging is in its early stages of development but already the potential clinical impact of this new imaging modality is clear. From cancer research to DNA analysis THz technology is improving or even making possible imaging of hitherto inaccessible phenomena. In this paper we present a short review of THz imaging from the point of view of biomedical engineering. We discuss the current state of the art in terms of THz imaging systems; describe current applications, future potential and our own approaches to harnessing this novel technology. We draw attention to open problems in the area with respect to the limitations of the technology before concluding with descriptions of our future work in the area.