Sub-Terahertz Waveguide Iris Probe for Ex-Vivo Breast Cancer Tumor Margin Assessment

Abstract

In breast-conserving operations, terahertz imaging (THz) has become a popular method of assessing tumor margins intraoperatively. Typically, THz measurements are conducted with electro-optical setups that penetrate tissue just a few microns deep. The study demonstrates a robust, efficient, and cost-effective electronic sub-THz waveguide probe for detecting tumor margins intraoperatively during lumpectomies. The proposed iris waveguide probe is capable of detecting fat, fibrous, and tumorous tissue in breast tissue. The device can identify both positive and negative margins in the frequency range of 110-170 GHz. The scanning probe can be used to rapidly and effectively depict the excised tissue surface by placing it in contact with it. According to the imaging results, this probe has a lateral sensitivity of 0.2 mm and a detection depth of 1 mm. It is manufactured using CNC micromachining technology to ensure easy and cost-effective production. The probe was designed and tested in HFSS as well as fabricated and validated on an artificial excised breast mimicking phantom. In this research, sub-terahertz waves are used for tissue penetrating imaging of breast tumor margins, which is an application requiring high resolution and accurate techniques.