15^th World Medical Nanotechnology Congress

Biography

Biography: Amit Banerjee

Abstract

Terahertz waves lie in the region from 300 GHz to 3 THz (wavelength: 100 µm to 1 mm). Electromagnetic wave with frequency range ~ 1 THz, because of its transparency to many non-polarized materials and finger-print spectral bands of organic- and biomacromolecules, is important for non-contact and non-destructive sensing in various applications. Diverse technologies are using these frequency bands for ultrahigh-speed wireless communications, imaging, and materials analysis. There are several exciting applications of THz spectroscopy and imaging e.g. non-contact and remote inspection of concealed weapons, explosives for homeland security, examination of defects and foreign objects in edibles. Another exciting aspect is the development of THz imaging devices, techniques and instruments for biomedical applications for disease diagnostics at a level of cellular processes and tissues, including cancer signature study, diagnosis of tumors, by thermography and imaging. Other various biomedical applications of THz range from studying biomolecules, including analysis of DNA/RNA, amino acids/peptides, proteins, and carbohydrates etc. However, the present ability of THz technology is still inadequate for actual use in large scale. The overall performance in terms of sensitivity and speed of measurements is unsatisfactory and the manufacturing cost of even the basic devices is not commercially viable. Farther research and development of the sources, detectors, optical elements and measuring techniques as well as sensing systems are crucial for extending the utilization of THz waves. Among lot of issues, the current study details THz detectors and detection systems with promising results in terms of performance such as sensitivity and response speed, convenience in handling and prospective low-cost development. Microbolometer is a radiation detector for infrared (IR) and terahertz (THz) waves. The current report is on the detailed investigation of the materials properties, design requirement and device performance aspects, for the fabrication of uncooled antenna-coupled terahertz microbolometer arrays to be used for biomedical imaging applications.