THz imaging of skin tissue — Exploiting the strong reflectivity of liquid water

We present a novel system for imaging burns and other lesions of human skin tissue utilizing the acute sensitivity of THz radiation to water concentration. It is a THz impulse radar that carries out reflective, 2D imaging with a photoconductive-switch wideband illuminator, a Schottky-rectifying gated receiver, and mechanical scanning. It has been used to image burns with ~2 mm spatial resolution in ≈5 min over 1 KPixel and 1 sq inch.