Narrowband Terahertz Imager

窄带太赫兹成像仪

• 批准号: 7744714
• 负责人: Wayne D. Kimura
• 金额: $ 18.47万
• 依托单位: STI OPTRONICS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-29 至 2010-08-05
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7744714
• 关键词: Affect; Area; Basal cell carcinoma; California; Cancer Detection; Cancer Diagnostics; Cancerous; Carcinoma; Confocal Microscopy; Detection; Diagnosis; Diagnostic; Diagnostic Imaging; Ensure; Evaluation; Excision; Face; Frequencies; Goals; Government; Human body; Image; Imaging Techniques; Light; Los Angeles; Malignant Neoplasms; Medical; Medical Research; Medicine; Neck; Noise; Normal tissue morphology; Optical Coherence Tomography; Output; Persons; Phase; Physiologic pulse; Plague; Preclinical Testing; Proteins; Quartz; Radiation; Reading; Research; Research Personnel; Resolution; Scanning; Scheme; Signal Transduction; Skin; Skin Cancer; Skin Carcinoma; Source; Specimen; Structure; Surface; Surgeon; System; Technology; Testing; Tissues; Ultrasonography; Universities; Water; Work; absorption; base; engineering design; human tissue; improved; in vivo; light scattering; neoplastic cell; pre-clinical; programs; public health relevance; research study; tool

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Narrowband Terahertz Imager for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Detection Terahertz (THz) radiation is nonionizing and safe for probing human tissue. Unlike ultrasound, THz light is capable of submillimeter resolution and, unlike other imaging techniques, THz light is not affected by light scattering. This unique capability has given rise to a number of potential applications for THz light in medicine and bioscience. Realization of these applications has been hampered because existing THz sources generally have low output power, some have limited tunability, and many emit broadband radiation, which can be unsuitable for certain applications. Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have demonstrated a new scheme for generating powerful, narrowband, and tunable THz light that can satisfy the needs of these applications. In order to develop this scheme into a practical technology, we are proposing to focus on one specific, highly promising application - an imaging system for detection of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer affecting over 1 million people per year. Preclinical tests have shown the ability to detect BCC with THz light because BCC tissue tends to have higher water content than normal tissue and THz light is strongly absorbed by water. However, current THz-based diagnostics rely on relatively weak broadband THz sources and require many minutes to create an image of the skin via raster scanning. During scanning the affected skin area must be pressed against a quartz plate, which precludes diagnosing the face and neck. False-positive results are also possible because inflamed normal tissue adjacent to the BCC can strongly absorb THz light. Hence, a more discriminating, more rapid, and noncontact THz-based diagnostic is needed. The overall goal of our program is to develop a narrowband, high-peak-power THz imaging system based upon the UCLA work that 1) is powerful enough to obtain 2-D images without the need for raster scanning with the specimen placed on a quartz plate; and 2) will use its narrowband capability to enable unambiguous detection of the carcinoma in a manner that is not possible with a broadband THz source. During Phase I, we will utilize the UCLA THz source, which has limited tunability, to perform proof-of- principle experiments to demonstrate THz imaging of water phantoms. During Phase II, a higher average power and highly tunable narrowband THz source will be built and used to demonstrate improved detection of BCC. Medical research collaborators will be involved during the Phase II tests. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Narrowband Terahertz Imager for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Detection Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer affecting over 1 million people per year. A new type of skin cancer diagnostic is being developed that will make it easier to identify cancerous tissue and will aid the surgeon during removal of the skin cancer to ensure all the cancer is excised while minimizing removal of healthy tissue. This diagnostic will also be useful as a new tool for medical and bioscience research.

描述（由申请人提供）：窄带Terahertz Imaker用于非黑色素瘤皮肤癌检测Terahertz（THZ）辐射是非离子化的，并且可以安全探测人体组织。与超声波不同，THZ光能够通过亚毫升分辨率分辨率，与其他成像技术不同，THZ光不受光散射的影响。这种独特的能力引起了医学和生物科学中THZ光的许多潜在应用。由于现有的THZ源通常具有较低的输出功率，有限的可调性和许多发射宽带辐射，因此实现了这些应用程序的实现，这可能不适合某些应用。加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）的研究人员展示了一种新计划，以产生强大，狭窄且可调的THZ光线，可以满足这些应用的需求。为了将该方案开发为实用技术，我们建议专注于一种特定的，高度有希望的应用 - 一种检测基底细胞癌（BCC）的成像系统。非黑色素瘤皮肤癌是每年影响超过100万人的最普遍的癌症形式。临床前测试表明，由于BCC组织的水含量高于正常组织，并且THZ光被水强烈吸收。但是，当前基于THZ的诊断依赖于相对较弱的宽带THZ来源，并且需要数分钟才能通过栅格扫描创建皮肤图像。在扫描过程中，必须将受影响的皮肤区域压在石英板上，这排除了诊断脸部和颈部的。假阳性结果也是可能的，因为与BCC相邻的发炎正常组织可以强烈吸收THZ光。因此，需要一个更具区别，更快和基于非接触性能的诊断。我们程序的总体目标是基于UCLA工作1）强大的功能，不需要在石英上放置标本，开发一个基于UCLA工作的窄带，高峰值THZ成像系统。盘子; 2）将使用其窄带能力以使用宽带THZ来源不可能的方式实现癌症的明确检测。在第一阶段，我们将利用有限的可调性的UCLA THZ来源来执行原理实验，以证明对水幻象的Thz成像。在II期期间，将建立和使用高度可调的窄带THZ来源，并用于证明BCC的检测改善。医学研究合作者将在第二阶段测试中参与其中。公共卫生相关性：窄带Terahertz Imager用于非黑色素瘤皮肤癌检测非甲状腺瘤皮肤癌是每年影响超过100万人的癌症最普遍的形式。正在开发一种新型的皮肤癌诊断，这将使识别癌性组织更容易，并在去除皮肤癌期间有助于外科医生，以确保切除所有癌症，同时最大程度地减少健康组织的去除。该诊断也将作为医学和生物科学研究的新工具有用。