We demonstrated that tumors in freshly excised whole brain tissue could be differentiated clearly from normal brain tissue using a reflection-type terahertz (THz) imaging system. THz binary images of brain tissues with tumors indicated that the tumor boundaries in the THz images corresponded well to those in visible images. Grey and white-matter regions were distinguishable owing to the different distribution of myelin in the brain tissue. THz images corresponded closely with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results. The MRI and hematoxylin and eosin-stained microscopic images were investigated to account for the intensity differences in the THz images for fresh and paraffin-embedded brain tissue. Our results indicated that the THz signals corresponded to the cell density when water was removed. Thus, THz imaging could be used as a tool for label-free and real-time imaging of brain tumors, which would be helpful for physicians to determine tumor margins during brain surgery.
Gross total resection (GTR) of glioma is critical for improving the survival rate of glioma patients. One of the greatest challenges for achieving GTR is the difficulty in discriminating low grade tumor or peritumor regions that have an intact blood brain barrier (BBB) from normal brain tissues and delineating glioma margins during surgery. Here we present a highly sensitive, label-free terahertz reflectometry imaging (TRI) that overcomes current key limitations for intraoperative detection of World Health Organization (WHO) grade II (low grade), and grade III and IV (high grade) gliomas. We demonstrate that TRI provides tumor discrimination and delineation of tumor margins in brain tissues with high sensitivity on the basis of Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained image. TRI may help neurosurgeons to remove gliomas completely by providing visualization of tumor margins in WHO grade II, III, and IV gliomas without contrast agents, and hence, improve patient outcomes.
In this study, we have designed, fabricated, and characterized a miniaturized optical fiber-coupled terahertz (THz) endoscope system. The endoscopic system utilized a photoconductive generator and detector driven by a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. In reflection mode, the endoscope showed a high signal-to-noise ratio and a wide frequency spectrum similar to the conventional THz time-domain spectroscopic system. The cross section of the endoscope including generator and detector head is (2 x 4 mm) x 6 mm, which is small enough to be inserted into a human body. For a feasibility test, the endoscopic system was used to measure reflective THz signals from the side wall of the mouth, tongue, and palm skin as well as from water for comparison. The absorption and refractive index of the side wall of the mouth and tongue were similar to those of water but those of the palm skin were less than water.
This paper reports an experimental and simulation study of a tapered parallel-plate waveguide (TPPWG) to improve THz coupling to the plate separation gap. The flat- and round-type TPPWG without any silicon lens is compared to the parallel-plate waveguide (PPWG) with a plano-cylindrical silicon lens. The spectrum amplitudes of the input-side TPPWG and the input- and output-side TPPWG both having a 3 degrees slop angle increased about 56% and 103% at 1 THz when compared to that of the PPWG. Since the input- and output-side TPPWG had almost no impedance mismatch to the propagating THz wave, coupling to the waveguide could be improved twice compared with the PPWG.
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