Imaging Biological Samples Using Far- And Near-Filed Thz Microscopy

Far-field and near-field THz imaging techniques have been employed to image different biological samples. First, far-field THz-TDS system was exploited to image freshly excised mouse melanoma tissue slices, from which the normal and diseased areas can be detected, unambiguously. Second, photoconductive antenna microprobe-based near-field THz-TDS system, with a calibrated resolution of 5 gm, has been developed and successfully utilized to image mouse brain tissues and individual fruit cells. Finally, a tip-scattering based near-field THz-TDS microscope was used to image individual macro-biomolecules. The results manifest great potential of the application of THz imaging techniques in biomedical and biological fields.