THz Pulsed Imaging in Biomedical Applications

Annalisa D’Arco,Stefano Lupi,Valerio Dolci,Marta Di Di Fabrizio,Massimo Petrarca

doi:10.3390/condmat5020025

Annalisa D’Arco, Stefano Lupi + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat5020025

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Abstract

Recent advances in technology have allowed the production and the coherent detection of sub-ps pulses of terahertz (THz) radiation. Therefore, the potentialities of this technique have been readily recognized for THz spectroscopy and imaging in biomedicine. In particular, THz pulsed imaging (TPI) has rapidly increased its applications in the last decade. In this paper, we present a short review of TPI, discussing its basic principles and performances, and its state-of-the-art applications on biomedical systems.

Highlights

The increasing request for diagnosis techniques in the biomedical area, able to provide morphological, chemical and/or functional information for early, noninvasive and label-free detection, has led to hard cooperation in different scientific fields
We present a short review of THz pulsed imaging (TPI), discussing its basic principles and performances, and its state-of-the-art applications on biomedical systems
This has stimulated a wide diffusion of THz systems for spectroscopic and imaging purposes, applicable in various science fields like biology and medicine [39,40,41,42,43,44], gas sensing [45], chemical analysis [46,47], new materials characterization in low-frequency range and non-destructive evaluation of composite materials and constructions [48,49], astronomy [50], microelectronics and security [51,52,53], agri-food industry [54], art conservation [55], etc

Summary

Introduction

The increasing request for diagnosis techniques in the biomedical area, able to provide morphological, chemical and/or functional information for early, noninvasive and label-free detection, has led to hard cooperation in different scientific fields. Many efforts were done in THz technology, improving THz sources and detectors’ responses [32,33,34,35,36,37,38], and ensuring devices’ flexibility and portability, in recent decades This has stimulated a wide diffusion of THz systems for spectroscopic and imaging purposes, applicable in various science fields like biology and medicine [39,40,41,42,43,44], gas sensing [45], chemical analysis [46,47], new materials characterization in low-frequency range and non-destructive evaluation of composite materials and constructions [48,49], astronomy [50], microelectronics and security [51,52,53], agri-food industry [54], art conservation [55], etc. We briefly discuss the most common TPI systems that are the aim of our review, with a strong emphasis on THz pulsed sources and detectors

Generation and Detection of THz Pulsed Radiation

TPI Equipment

TPI Near-Field Systems

Findings

Basics of THz Imaging