Cell Detection in Microfluidic System by Terahertz Technique

In this research, a microfluidic system combined with terahertz technique is designed and used for cell detection. Terahertz wave signal, generated by photoconductive antenna, penetrates through cells, medium, and the materials of the microfluidic device. The reflective terahertz signal can be collected by detector and transformed into frequency domain signals. By comparing these signals, this would help us to find out the characteristic signal of material at certain frequency on the order of terahertz range. Furthermore, cells and medium are injected into the microfluidic device. The experiment results demonstrate the capability to differentiate various kinds of material. In the future, this approach can help us to distinguish the cancer cells among normal cells.