Reflective THz and MR imaging of burn wounds: a potential clinical validation of THz contrast mechanisms

摘要

Terahertz (THz) imaging is an expanding area of research in the field of medical imaging due to its high sensitivity tochanges in tissue water content. Previously reported in vivo rat studies demonstrate that spatially resolved hydrationmapping with THz illumination can be used to rapidly and accurately detect fluid shifts following induction of burnsand provide highly resolved spatial and temporal characterization of edematous tissue. THz imagery of partial andfull thickness burn wounds acquired by our group correlate well with burn severity and suggest that hydrationgradients are responsible for the observed contrast. This research aims to confirm the dominant contrast mechanismof THz burn imaging using a clinically accepted diagnostic method that relies on tissue water content for contrastgeneration to support the translation of this technology to clinical application. The hydration contrast sensingcapabilities of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), specifically T2 relaxation times and proton density values N(H),are well established and provide measures of mobile water content, lending MRI as a suitable method to validatehydration states of skin burns. This paper presents correlational studies performed with MR imaging of ex vivoporcine skin that confirm tissue hydration as the principal sensing mechanism in THz burn imaging. Insights fromthis preliminary research will be used to lay the groundwork for future, parallel MRI and THz imaging of in vivo ratmodels to further substantiate the clinical efficacy of reflective THz imaging in burn wound care.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.