Tucson, AZ--The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded researchers at The University of Arizona (UA) College of Engineering $530,000 to develop a unique terahertz spectral imager designed to strengthen medical imaging of tumors and pathogens and the detection of specific chemicals such as explosives. The custom-made spectral imager will emit electromagnetic radiation, or spectra, in the terahertz range of frequencies and analyze how the spectra are absorbed and reflected by various materials, such as cell tissues and chemical compounds. No instrument with the spectral imager's proposed capabilities currently exists at any university.
The award was made under NSF’s Major Research Instrumentation Program. An additional $238,000 from the UA College of Engineering and Office of the Senior Vice President for Research will bring total project funding to $768,000.
The principal investigator for the three-year project, professor of electrical and computer engineering Richard Ziolkowski, expects the imager to attract high-tech industries and high-caliber researchers to UA. "It will be a unique instrument in an area that is really starting to grow," Ziolkowski said. "There are jobs now being created in the terahertz area because people are interested in systems such these imaging devices."
Although terahertz radiation can penetrate many different materials, including clothing, but not metal, it does not damage cell tissue and DNA like X-rays. Many of the imagers in airports use terahertz waves. The terahertz spectral imager is therefore an ideal tool for peering into various materials to see what lies beneath.
One possible application for a terahertz spectral imager is in skin cancer surgery. "One of the questions with melanomas," Ziolkowski said, "is how far has the cancer extended around what you actually see?" Determining the extent of a melanoma can be difficult when using harmful X-rays is not an option. "You can see it with terahertz," he said.
Similarly, the instrument development team is interested in using terahertz waves to detect the presence in cells of disease-causing pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
Product control in the pharmaceutical industry could also benefit from terahertz spectral imaging. "A lot of pills now are time-release, and the thickness of the capsules is important for that time release," Ziolkowski said. "You can actually see the thickness of the pill casings with terahertz." He said quality engineers can also examine computer chips and electronic circuits with terahertz the same way to determine whether there are breaks in the circuits or whether layers and other components are the right depth.
Ziolkowski also expects a lot of interest from security agencies because various kinds of explosives have their own terahertz signatures. Thanks to the uniqueness of spectral signatures, the list of applications for a terahertz imager is virtually limitless.
SOURCE: The University of Arizona; http://uanews.org/node/43536
