New terahertz imaging system enables faster clinical diagnostics

Scientists at the University of Warwick have developed a fully fiber-coupled terahertz (THz) imaging system that significantly improves the speed, resolution, and clinical practicality of terahertz imaging.

The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates a high-throughput, compact platform that overcomes key barriers limiting current THz systems - bringing real-time, non-invasive tissue imaging closer to routine clinical use.

Terahertz imaging has shown immense promise for biomedical diagnostics, but its translation into real-world clinical tools has been hindered by bulky systems and slow acquisition speeds. It's an exciting breakthrough as the fibre coupling means that the system can be flexible and compact, meaning it can function as a handheld device or be integrated with a robot."

Professor Emma MacPherson, Department of Physics, University of Warwick

Terahertz waves sit between microwaves and infrared light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Crucially, they are non-ionising (meaning they do not carry the risks associated with X-rays) and are highly sensitive to water content, which helps reveal differences between healthy and diseased tissue. Despite this promise, most existing terahertz imaging systems are bulky and slow, limiting their use outside specialist labs.

The Warwick team has overcome these barriers by developing a compact, fibre-based system that is both faster and more flexible. Their streamlined design delivers near video-rate imaging with a spatial resolution of around 360 µm (more than five times faster than current state-of-the-art systems) while remaining compact and adaptable.

In proof-of-concept demonstrations, the system successfully distinguished between different types of biological tissue, including fat and protein in pig samples, and was able to capture real-time images of a wound on a volunteer's arm. Its compact design means it could be used directly on patients, either as a handheld device or as part of robotic surgical tools, opening up new possibilities for rapid, non-invasive diagnosis.

"This advance brings terahertz imaging closer to everyday clinical use," Professor MacPherson added. "For patients, that could mean faster answers and fewer invasive procedures - enabling clinicians to assess wounds or suspicious skin lesions in real time, without exposure to ionising radiation, and to make more confident decisions at the point of care."

By combining speed, sensitivity and portability, the technology represents a significant advance toward practical clinical terahertz imaging and real-time medical diagnostics beyond the laboratory and surgical removal of skin cancers.