Narrowband Terahertz Imager

描述（由申请人提供）：用于非黑色素瘤皮肤癌检测的窄带太赫兹成像仪太赫兹（THz）辐射是非电离的，对于探测人体组织是安全的。与超声波不同，太赫兹光具有亚毫米分辨率，而且与其他成像技术不同，太赫兹光不受光散射的影响。这种独特的能力使太赫兹光在医学和生物科学方面有了许多潜在的应用。这些应用的实现一直受到阻碍，因为现有的太赫兹源通常具有低输出功率，一些具有有限的可调性，并且许多发射宽带辐射，这可能不适合某些应用。加州大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）的研究人员展示了一种产生强大、窄带、可调谐太赫兹光的新方案，可以满足这些应用的需求。为了将该方案发展成为一项实用技术，我们建议将重点放在一个特定的，非常有前途的应用-检测基底细胞癌（BCC）的成像系统。非黑色素瘤皮肤癌是最普遍的癌症形式，每年影响超过100万人。临床前试验表明，用太赫兹光检测基底细胞癌的能力，因为基底细胞癌组织往往比正常组织含水量更高，而且太赫兹光被水强烈吸收。然而，目前基于太赫兹的诊断依赖于相对较弱的宽带太赫兹源，并且需要许多分钟才能通过光栅扫描创建皮肤图像。在扫描过程中，受影响的皮肤区域必须压在石英板上，这就排除了对面部和颈部的诊断。假阳性结果也是可能的，因为BCC附近发炎的正常组织可以强烈吸收太赫兹光。因此，需要一种更有鉴别性、更快速、非接触的基于太赫兹的诊断方法。我们项目的总体目标是开发一种窄带，峰值功率太赫兹成像系统，该系统基于加州大学洛杉矶分校的工作，1)强大到足以获得二维图像，而无需将标本放置在石英板上进行光栅扫描；2)将利用其窄带能力，以一种宽带太赫兹源无法实现的方式，对癌症进行明确的检测。在第一阶段，我们将利用加州大学洛杉矶分校的太赫兹源，它具有有限的可调性，进行原理验证实验，以演示水幻影的太赫兹成像。在第二阶段，将建立一个更高平均功率和高度可调谐的窄带太赫兹源，并用于演示改进的BCC检测。医学研究合作者将参与二期试验。公共卫生相关性：用于非黑色素瘤皮肤癌检测的窄带太赫兹成像仪非黑色素瘤皮肤癌是最常见的癌症形式，每年影响超过100万人。一种新的皮肤癌诊断方法正在开发中，它将更容易识别癌变组织，并将帮助外科医生在切除皮肤癌的过程中确保所有的癌症都被切除，同时最大限度地减少健康组织的切除。作为医学和生物科学研究的新工具，这种诊断也将是有用的。

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.