Continuous wave terahertz imaging has the potential for diagnosing and delineating skin cancers. While contrast has been observed between cancerous and normal tissue at terahertz frequencies, the source mechanism behind this contrast is not clearly understood.¹Transmission measurements of 240μm thick sections of nonmelanoma skin cancer were taken at two frequencies of 1.39 THz and 1.63 THz that lie within and outside the tryptophan absorption band, respectively. Two CO₂ pumped Far-Infrared molecular gas lasers were used for illuminating the tissue while the transmitted signals were detected using a liquid Helium cooled Silicon bolometer. At both THz frequencies 2-dimensional THz transmission images of nonmelanoma skin cancers were acquired with better than 0.5mm spatial resolution. The resulting images were compared to the sample histology and showed a correlation between cancerous tissue and decreased transmission. The results of the imaging experiments will be presented and discussed.

Date Published: 4 March 2010
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 7601, Terahertz Technology and Applications III, 760104 (4 March 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.842018

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7601:
Terahertz Technology and Applications III
Laurence P. Sadwick; Creidhe M. M. O'Sullivan, Editor(s)