Terahertz Medical Imaging

Terahertz Medical Imaging

Joseph Hilton-Tapp

2025

Terahertz technology holds great promise as a safe tool for skin imaging, with potential applications in diagnostics and cosmetics. The Picobot is a medical imaging system which operates using terahertz-frequency (THz) EM waves - these waves are non-ionising and can obtain a sub-millimeter depth resolution. This makes them a suitable method to image skin without exposure concerns while obtaining high resolution data. The absolute penetration depth of THz light is limited due to its attenuation by water, but this absorption trait could prove useful for differentiating between healthy and drier regions of biological tissue. These waves can penetrate the topmost layer of skin, the stratum corneum, and into the epidermis below. The reflected THz signal carries information about the structure and hydration of the skin. Images of these structures and important characteristic values can then be generated for further analysis.

Terahertz, Medical Imaging, Skin, Imaging, Medical Physics, THz, Picobot