Multi-band millimeter wave / terahertz breath sensor based on molecular absorption spectroscopy

基于分子吸收光谱的多波段毫米波/太赫兹呼吸传感器

• 批准号: 272356870
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Heinz-Wilhelm Hübers
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Physik
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Priority Programmes
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2014-12-31 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/272356870?language=en
• 关键词: Multi; band; millimeter; wave; terahertz

Breath analysis has an enormous potential in clinical diagnosis. It is inherently safe and non-invasive. It can be used to detect diseases, monitor disease progression or monitor therapy. Despite of its potential breath analysis is still not widely used. One of the reasons is inadequate instrumentation, which is often expensive, difficult to use, and not portable. In addition most practical sensors can only detect one species and it is not possible to measure a characteristic pattern of many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) simultaneously with only one instrument. The common objective of the groups at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Leibniz-Institut für Innovative Mikroelektronik, and Universität Marburg is to develop a novel, very sensitive and highly specific sensor for human breath analysis. The detection principle of the sensor is molecular absorption spectroscopy at millimeter wave (mmW) and terahertz (THz) frequencies. The sensor will allow detecting many relevant VOCs in human breath simultaneously. It consists of a frequency tunable mmW/THz transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX). In a prior project the feasibility of such a mmW breath sensor has been demonstrated at frequencies around 240 GHz and breath gases have been measured. In this project the sensitivity, specificity and selectivity of the sensor will be significantly improved. This will be achieved by increasing the output power, sensitivity and linearity of the TX and RX. The frequency coverage of the sensor will be extended by two frequency bands centered at 480 GHz and 720 GHz, which allows more gases to be detected with higher sensitivity. Also a novel multi-band spectroscopy approach using the harmonics of the TX will be explored. A new absorption and gas handling system will reduce system losses and increase sensitivity. Since there is a lack of spectroscopic data of VOCs at mmW/THz frequencies a number of VOCs will be spectroscopically investigated using a dedicated laboratory spectrometer. The new developments will be integrated into a portable mmW/THz breath sensor. This sensor will be evaluated at Universität Marburg by applying the mmW/THz breath sensor to patients with lung diseases. Finally, the feasibility of a mmW/THz breath sensor for practical use in clinics and ambulances will be assessed. This interdisciplinary collaboration will contribute significantly to the implementation of breath analysis for routine medical diagnostics.

呼气分析在临床诊断中具有巨大的潜力。它本质上是安全和非侵入性的。它可用于检测疾病、监测疾病进展或监测治疗。尽管呼气分析的潜力很大，但它仍然没有得到广泛的应用。原因之一是仪器设备不足，仪器设备通常昂贵、难以使用且不便于携带。此外，大多数实用的传感器只能检测一种物质，而且不可能用一台仪器同时测量多种挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)的特征模式。柏林洪堡大学、莱布尼茨创新研究院和马尔堡大学的共同目标是开发一种用于人体呼吸分析的新型、非常灵敏和高度特异的传感器。该传感器的检测原理是毫米波和太赫兹频率的分子吸收光谱。该传感器将允许同时检测人体呼气中的许多相关VOCs。它由一个频率可调的毫米波/太赫兹发射机(TX)和一个接收器(RX)组成。在先前的一个项目中，这种毫米瓦呼吸传感器的可行性已经在240 GHz左右的频率上得到了证明，并测量了呼吸气体。该项目将显著提高传感器的灵敏度、特异度和选择性。这将通过增加TX和RX的输出功率、灵敏度和线性度来实现。传感器的频率覆盖范围将扩大以480 GHz和720 GHz为中心的两个频段，从而能够以更高的灵敏度检测更多的气体。此外，还将探索一种使用TX的谐波的新的多频带光谱方法。一种新的吸收和气体处理系统将减少系统损失并提高灵敏度。由于缺乏毫米波/太赫兹频率的挥发性有机化合物的光谱数据，将使用专用的实验室光谱仪对一些挥发性有机化合物进行光谱研究。新开发的产品将集成到便携式毫米波/太赫兹呼吸传感器中。该传感器将在马尔堡大学通过将毫米波/太赫兹呼吸传感器应用于肺部疾病患者进行评估。最后，将评估毫米波/太赫兹呼气传感器在诊所和救护车上实际使用的可行性。这种跨学科的合作将对实施常规医疗诊断的呼吸分析做出重大贡献。