THz laser technology skin cancer breakthrough Wednesday, 29 June 2016

Cutting-edge laser imaging technology could revolutionise skin cancer diagnosis and management, aiming to detect skin cancer earlier and more accurately.

The University of Queensland’s School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering’s, Dr Yah Leng Lim, a Doctoral Research Fellow, is a member of the team that has developed terahertz (THz) laser-based imaging technology to differentiate between healthy skin and skin cancer.

Dr Lim said that the THz laser imaging technology could provide new methods for assessing skin lesions where there is no visible change, assisting in earlier and more accurate diagnosis of skin cancer.

“We have developed a system that can image and measure the optical properties of skin at frequencies in the THz range, which has potential as a diagnostic tool,” Dr Lim said. “The chief difficulty has been developing laser sources and detectors at these frequencies and we have achieved this through a novel technique known as laser-feedback interferometry where the THz laser source acts as the signal receiver as well, which allows for the design of a very compact and extremely sensitive instrument to measure properties of the skin at depths relevant to the development and diagnosis of skin cancer.”

Queensland has one of the highest rates of skin cancer globally, with more than 350,000 Queenslanders treated annually, and early detection being the best predictor of outcome.

Current clinical examinations primarily depend on visual examinations of lesions using microscopy with a dermatoscope, and constraints of the current technology mean that only properties of the lesions in the visible range of the spectrum are used.

“Early diagnosis of melanoma is difficult, especially for people presenting with many moles, and current diagnosis of skin cancer is based on visible inspection, usually with the aid of a hand-held magnification instrument,” Dr Lim said.  “Information contained in electromagnetic waves outside the visible spectrum can tell us much more about the nature of the tissue, and THz radiation is a newly investigated region of the spectrum.”

Dr Lim and the team at UQ excitedly anticipate clinical trials, to be conducted at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital after the imaging frame rates suitable for clinical use are achieved.

“Our test results are extremely promising, but the current prototype is bulky and requires cryogenic cooling to operate,” Dr Lim said. “The next step is to consolidate the electronics and system design to develop a cryogen-free system.”

The high-frequency electronics for the prototype have been developed in partnership with Brisbane-based microwave and electro-optic technology company Micreo Ltd, and Dr Lim is also working with University of Leeds researchers to access cutting-edge THz laser technology for the project.

“Although we have an international team of collaborators, most of the technology is being developed here by a team of experts across engineering, mathematics and clinical disciplines and local industry,” he said.

Dr Lim recently received a $300,000 Advance Queensland Fellowship, which the Queensland Government awards to support original research that positively impacts Queenslanders and builds the state’s capacity to carry out innovative research and development.

 

Image: Dr Lim working on the prototype that differentiates between healthy skin and skin cancer using THz laser-based imaging technology. Courtesy of the University of Queensland.