太赫兹(THz)波对生物医学组织具有天然的非电离性、水含量敏感性和浅层穿透性等特点,这使得其非常适合应用于生物医学成像。由于太赫兹量子级联激光器(THz QCL)具有激射功率高、光束质量好、调制速率高、体积小的特点,基于THz QCL的生物医学成像系统相较于其他主动式生物医学成像系统成像信噪比高、成像分辨率高、成像速度快、结构更紧凑。基于此,对基于THz QCL的生物医学成像研究进展进行综述,并对THz生物成像优势、THz QCL生物医学成像优势、生物医学成像系统、生物医学成像目标进行了总结,对其未来发展方向进行了展望。

Terahertz (THz) waves are ideal for biomedical imaging because of its natural non-ionization properties, sensitivity to moisture, and penetration depth in biomedical tissues. The THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) has advantages of high power, good-quality spot, fast modulation rate, and tiny size. Compared with traditional biomedical imaging systems, the biomedical imaging systems based on THz QCL have a superior signal-to-noise ratio, higher imaging resolution, faster imaging speed, and more compact structure. This study reviewed the progress on the research of biomedical imaging systems based on THz QCL. Furthermore, this study also summarized the advantages of THz bioimaging, THz QCL biomedical imaging, biomedical imaging systems, and biomedical imaging goals. Moreover, the direction of future developments is viewed.