Young Jacob J, Agarwal Agrima, Page Benjamin G, Dogra Anubhav, Hernandez-Serrano Arturo I, Hardwicke Joseph, Pickwell-MacPherson Emma
Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, CV4 7AL Coventry, Warwickshire UK.
Institute of Applied & Translational Technologies in Surgery (IATTS), University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, CV2 2DX Warwickshire UK.
J Infrared Millim Terahertz Waves. 2025;46(6):36. doi: 10.1007/s10762-025-01055-7. Epub 2025 May 30.
In this work, we demonstrate significant modifications to our robotically controlled terahertz (THz) sensing system, the "PicoBot," enabling it to perform in vivo imaging of skin rather than limiting it to single-point measurements. By integrating a robotic arm equipped with force-sensitive feedback control, we maintain consistent contact pressure between the probe and the skin surface throughout imaging. In conjunction with this hardware advancement, we introduce an accompanying image analysis pipeline that reduces noise and enhances repeatability across scans. These improvements allow for reliable intra- and inter-subject comparisons, a critical step toward the clinical utility of THz imaging. Our ultimate aim is to use THz imaging to detect skin cancer margins: this paper highlights progress towards this goal and skin evaluation in general.
在这项工作中，我们展示了对我们的机器人控制太赫兹（THz）传感系统“PicoBot”的重大改进，使其能够对皮肤进行体内成像，而不是仅限于单点测量。通过集成配备力敏反馈控制的机器人手臂，我们在整个成像过程中保持探头与皮肤表面之间的接触压力一致。结合这一硬件进步，我们引入了一个配套的图像分析流程，该流程可降低噪声并提高扫描间的可重复性。这些改进使得进行可靠的受试者内和受试者间比较成为可能，这是太赫兹成像临床应用的关键一步。我们的最终目标是使用太赫兹成像来检测皮肤癌边缘：本文重点介绍了朝着这一目标以及一般皮肤评估所取得的进展。
