Based on a THz pipe-based near-field imaging system, we demonstrated the capability of THz imaging to diagnose human breast and liver cancers. Through THz near-field mapping of the absorption constants of cancer tissues, the acquired images can not only clearly distinguish cancer from normal tissues fast, automatically, and correctly without pathological H&E staining, but also identify the distribution region of cancer, which matches well with the identification with pathological examination. Due to its capability to perform quantitative analysis, our study indicates the potential of the THz pipe-based near-field imaging for future automation on human tumor pathological examinations and for quick definition of the tumor margins during the surgical procedure such as breast-conserving surgery. With the help of THz imaging, we can expect to economize the use of hospital and human resources.

Date Published: 17 September 2014
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 9230, Twelfth International Conference on Photonics and Imaging in Biology and Medicine (PIBM 2014), 923002 (17 September 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2066436

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9230:
Twelfth International Conference on Photonics and Imaging in Biology and Medicine (PIBM 2014)
Qingming Luo; Lihong V. Wang; Valery V. Tuchin, Editor(s)