Catalogue of Human Tissue Optical Properties at Terahertz Frequencies

摘要: Recently published studies suggest thatterahertz pulsed imaging will have applications inmedicine and biology, but there iscurrently very little information about the opticalproperties of human tissue at terahertzfrequencies. Such would be useful forpredicting feasibility proposedapplications, optimising acquisition protocols,providing variability ofhealthy supplying data for theinteraction mechanisms. Research ethicscommittee approval was obtained, andmeasurements made from samples freshlyexcised tissue, using a broadbandterahertz system comprisingfrequencies approximately 0.5 to 2.5 THz.Refractive index linear absorptioncoefficient were found. Reproducibility wasdetermined blood one volunteer,which drawn measured on consecutivedays. Skin, adipose striatedmuscle, vein nerve (to date, oneindividual). Water had higher refractiveindex (2.04 ± 0.07) than any tissue.The absorption coefficient formuscle as expectedfrom hydration muscle. As these camefrom single subject, is currentlyinsufficient statistical power draw firmconclusions, results that in vivo clinical feasible certainapplications.