Terahertz Imaging Brings New Precision to Burn Care

A project led by M. Hassan Arbab, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, aims to differentiate healthy vs. diseased skin using terahertz imaging to help burn victims.

Terahertz imaging is a way of "seeing inside" materials, like skin, using a special type of invisible light. The light is non-ionizing, meaning it is safer than X-rays, and able to penetrate materials like skin, clothing or paper.

"We feel very strongly that in today's day and age with the advancement of imaging technologies and biotechnology, it is a pity that the prognosis of burn victims is so poor," Arbab said.

Current diagnosis of burn severity, which leads to deciding whether to graft skin, is roughly only 60% accurate, a number that has remained unchanged since the 1980s. Terahertz imaging technology can reach 90% to 98% accuracy. This development can reduce unnecessary surgeries, improve healing outcomes and lower scarring.

This project has multiple parts: building the handheld imaging device for clinical use; using AI and machine learning to interpret data; and studying light interactions with tissue, including a key breakthrough in polarimetric measurements of Mie scattering in tissue.

"People always assume that it is the absorption of skin that is going to tell the difference between different grades of burn injuries," Arbab said. "What we have shown is that this specific type of scattering can be used as a diagnostic biomarker and is a significant signal. It was the first time that people saw you can actually measure this phenomenon in the skin."

The next steps for the project range from funding to clinical testing. Arbab is also hoping to expand into other conditions such as eczema and skin cancers. There is even a chance to explore eye (cornea) imaging, though it requires different technology.

Arbab expressed gratitude for the help on the project, including fellow researchers and the funders, the NIH, Department of Defense and Military Burn Research Program of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

"I want to thank the students and clinical collaborators. Without their help, this work wouldn't be possible."

- Angelina Livigni