Programmable Voltage Source for the Spectroscopic Integration (SPIN) Program

提出的可编程电压源是实现光谱积分(SPIN)计划新兴工作所需的关键研究工具。该项目是不列颠哥伦比亚省大学和不列颠哥伦比亚省癌症机构的六名工程和医学物理研究人员之间的一项重要的多学科倡议。 SPIN计划正在开发将拉曼光谱和太赫兹光谱集成到芯片实验室架构中的技术。拉曼光谱是一种用于表征癌症组织特征的成熟技术--但存在已知的挑战。太赫兹光谱学是一项新兴的技术，最近被证明对癌症组织的生理标记物具有高度的敏感性-因此它具有巨大的潜力。考虑到这些互补能力，SPIN计划正在开发集成太赫兹和拉曼光谱的芯片实验室微系统。这样的系统将能够对癌症组织的放射治疗反应进行高灵敏度和高通量的监测。这项工作最终将通过不列颠哥伦比亚大学和不列颠哥伦比亚省癌症机构之间的合作来实施。 为了实施拟议的光谱技术集成，SPIN计划中的研究人员必须获得可编程电压源。它是表征已开发的光谱微系统能力所需的关键研究工具。本应用中要求的可编程电压源将实现微系统的全面表征(和迭代开发)。 这类工作的未来前景是重要的--无论是在研究发现方面，还是在加拿大人的利益方面。

The proposed programmable voltage source is the key research tool needed to realize the emerging work of the Spectroscopic Integration (SPIN) Program. The program is a major multidisciplinary initiative between six engineering and medical physics researchers at the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Cancer Agency. The SPIN Program is developing technologies to integrate Raman and terahertz spectroscopy within lab-on-a-chip architectures. Raman spectroscopy is an established technique for characterizations of cancerous tissue—but with known challenges. Terahertz spectroscopy is an emerging technology that has recently been shown to have heightened sensitivity to the physiological markers of cancerous tissue—and thus it has great potential. With these complementary capabilities in mind, the SPIN Program is developing lab-on-a-chip microsystems that integrate terahertz and Raman spectroscopy. Such systems would enable high-sensitivity and high-throughput monitoring of radiotherapy responses of cancerous tissue. The work will ultimately be implemented through a collaboration between the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Cancer Agency. To carry out the proposed integration of spectroscopic technologies, it is necessary for the researchers in the SPIN Program to gain access to a programmable voltage source. It is the key research tool needed to characterize the capabilities of the developed spectroscopic microsystems. The programmable voltage source that has been requested in this application will enable full characterizations (and iterative developments) of the microsystems. The future prospects of such work are significant—both in terms of research discoveries and benefits to Canadians.