KR20190004113A - Terahertz probe waveguide for cancer surgery - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a terahertz probe waveguide for a cancer surgery. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the terahertz probe waveguide includes: a tube including an interior space formed therein; a core unit accommodated in the interior space of the tube, and separated from the tube at a predetermined interval while being arranged in a direction of the axis; and a transceiver chip configured to be in a back side of the core unit, and including Hz wave transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) on a plate to transmit and detect the THz waves. A front end of the core unit is guided to an outer side of the front end of the tube, and the THz wave transmitted from the transceiver chip can be transferred.

Description

{TERAHERTZ PROBE WAVEGUIDE FOR CANCER SURGERY}

The following embodiments relate to a terahertz probe waveguide and more particularly to a high sensitivity probe module integrated with a terahertz (THz) wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) and a waveguide (WG) To a terahertz probe waveguide for cancer surgery.

~ 0.3 mm)는 마이크로파(microwave, f < ~ 100 GHz /

> ~ 1 mm)와 적외선(infrared, f > ~ 10 THz /

< ~ 10

) 사이에 위치한 미개척 스펙트럼 영역으로, 테라헤르츠 갭(THz Gap)로 불린다. 테라헤르츠(THz)파 대역은 마이크로파와 광파 대역의 중간에 위치하고 있어 빛의 직진성과 전자기파의 투과성을 모두 가지고 있으며, 마이크로파나 광파가 투과할 수 없는 물질을 쉽게 투과하고 수분에 잘 흡수되는 특성을 가지고 있다. 이에 테라헤르츠(THz)파는 의학, 의공학, 생화학, 식품공학, 공해감시 및 보안검색 등 다양한 산업에 적용되고 있으며, 그 중요성도 증대되고 있다. Terahertz (THz) Electromagnetic waves (

~ 0.3 mm) is microwave (f <~ 100 GHz /

> ~ 1 mm) and infrared (f> ~ 10 THz /

<~ 10

), Which is called the THz Gap. THz (THz) wave band is located midway between the microwave and the light wave band. It has both the linearity of light and the permeability of electromagnetic wave. It has the characteristic that it easily permeates material that can not be transmitted by microwave or light wave and absorbs well have. The terahertz (THz) wave has been applied to various industries such as medicine, biology, biochemistry, food engineering, pollution monitoring and security search, and its importance is also increasing.

Accordingly, passive devices such as THz wave waveguide, filter, and resonator can be developed for various application technologies such as information technology, life technology, environmental technology, space technology and military technology. Terahertz (THz) wave device is a field of THz photonics, a new science technology that meets electronics and optics. Recently, the application of THz photonics has been started, especially low energy (~ 4 meV) - non-invasive Which is harmless to the human body, is rapidly spreading to new concept analysis and diagnostic apparatus as the core source technology of the next-generation bio-medical industry.

Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2016-0008709 relates to a voltage-free transceiver operating in this terahertz band, wherein a THz wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Receiver, Rx) are formed on a single substrate, Voltage transceiver operating in the THz band capable of transmitting and detecting THz waves.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0008709

Embodiments describe a terahertz probe waveguide and more specifically to a technique for a high sensitivity probe module integrating a terahertz (THz) wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) and a waveguide (WG) to provide.

Embodiments provide a terahertz probe waveguide for cancer detection, including a glioma through a terahertz (THz) wave, by providing a terahertz (THz) probe-waveguide (WG) have.

According to one embodiment, a terahertz probe waveguide includes a tube in which an inner space portion is formed; A core portion accommodated in the inner space portion of the tube and disposed axially spaced apart from the tube by a predetermined distance; And a transceiver chip formed on the rear side of the core unit and having a THz wave transmitter and a receiver Rx formed on the substrate to transmit and detect a THz wave, The THz waves guided to the outside of the front end of the tube and transmitted from the transceiver chip can be transmitted.

Wherein the insulating plate is formed of at least one or more plates arranged in an inner space of the tube so that the core is inserted into the inner space of the tube, The part can be fixed.

The insulating plate may be made of at least one of Teflon, silicon, and quartz.

Wherein the tube is made of a metal material and the tube and the core are in the form of a coaxial cable in which the core is axially disposed within the tube of metallic material, So that the THz wave transmission loss of the core portion can be reduced.

The tube may have a cylindrical shape, and the diameter of the front end may be gradually reduced to improve the THz wave transmission efficiency.

And a cap formed on the front end of the tube and made of an insulating material for contacting the front end side of the core part with the cancerous tumor.

And a needle tip inserted into the cap.

The needle tip can be connected to or disconnected from the front end of the core through the cap.

The transceiver chip has a THz wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) formed on a single substrate, and can transmit and detect a THz wave in a single chip.

A cancer detection device including a terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment includes: a gripable case; A tube accommodated in at least a part of the case and having an inner space portion formed therein; A core portion accommodated in the inner space portion of the tube and disposed axially spaced apart from the tube by a predetermined distance; And a transceiver chip formed on a rear side of the core unit and having a THz wave transmitter and a receiver Rx formed on the substrate to transmit and detect a THz wave, Wherein the front end of the core portion is guided to the outside of the front end of the tube and is transmitted from the transceiver chip to the transceiver chip, The THz waves are transmitted to detect cancer including brain glioma.

In the case, an LED module is formed at an end of the case to inform the user of the presence or absence of cancer detection, including brain glaucoma, through light.

Wherein the insulating plate includes at least one or more than two or more insulating plates arranged in the inner space of the tube and having a hole formed therein in the form of a plate of an insulating material, The core portion can be fixed.

Wherein the tube has a cylindrical shape and a front end thereof is gradually reduced in diameter in order to increase THz wave transmission efficiency and the tube and the core portion are coaxially disposed in the tube of the metallic material, (coaxial) cable type, which can reduce THz wave transmission loss.

A cap formed on the front end of the tube and made of an insulating material to prevent a loss of the THz wave on the front end side of the core part; And a needle tip formed to penetrate the cap and connected to a front end of the core portion.

The needle tip is in contact with the body during surgery and is interchangeable with or connected to the front end of the core through the cap.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a terahertz probe waveguide comprising: a tube in which an inner space portion is formed; And a transceiver chip formed on the rear side of the tube and having a THz wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) formed on the substrate to transmit and detect a THz wave, the tube having a cylindrical shape The front end portion of the transceiver chip is gradually reduced in diameter to increase THz wave transmission efficiency and the THz wave transmitted from the transceiver chip can be transmitted to the front end portion through the inner space portion of the tube.

According to embodiments, by providing a THz probe-waveguide (WG) integration module, miniaturization, high sensitivity, and high resolution for cancer detection including glioma through terahertz (THz) waves Of terahertz probe waveguide.

In addition, according to the embodiments, THz probe-waveguide (WG) integration module can be used to diagnose cancer of all parts of the body accessible to the THz probe, the thickness and characteristics of the thin film can be analyzed.

1 is a schematic view for explaining a cancer detection apparatus including a terahertz probe waveguide according to an embodiment.
2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a terahertz probe waveguide according to an embodiment.
3 is a diagram illustrating a transceiver chip according to an exemplary embodiment.
4 is a view for explaining a terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment.
5 is a diagram illustrating a waveguide directly connected to a transceiver chip according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described below. In addition, various embodiments are provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art. The shape and size of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

The following embodiments relate to a technology relating to a high sensitivity probe module in which a THz wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) are integrated with a waveguide (WG), and a terahertz (THz) A terahertz probe waveguide can be provided for detecting cancer through the probe. Moreover, the embodiments are applicable not only to the diagnosis of cancer for all parts of the body to which the THz probe is accessible, but also to industry that can analyze the thickness and characteristics of thin films as in semiconductor processing .

In particular, it can provide a result that can not be diagnosed in cancer diagnosis in the conventional brain gliosis surgery, and can be used as an induction probe for surgical operation. For example, a lens-type couple can be used as a surgeon guiding probe using a very small and highly efficient single-chip transceiver ([Tx / Rx]) type, And provide a boundary value. It can also be used as a real-time biopsy probe. For example, a waveguide (WG) type couple A very small and highly efficient single chip transceiver ([Tx / Rx]) can be used as a real-time biopsy probe for lesions such as cancer or for lesions such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, Can be used as a real-time biopsy probe to complement a biopsy using a conventional microscope in a situation where it is difficult to use the biopsy. Furthermore, in-vivo real-time diagnosis of diseases such as pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, etc. that are difficult to diagnose and biopsy (biopsy) by using fluorescent materials such as breast cancer and digestive cancer It is applicable to other cancer diseases.

< ps)을 가지는 THz 반도체 성장기술을 제공하고, 수신기(Rx)용 sub-ps 전하수명의 기판 제작 및 효율의 극대화를 위하여 낮은 온도에서 성장하는 저온성장(LTG) 기술과 다중양자우물(MQW) 구조를 활용할 수 있다.According to the embodiments, it is possible to develop a next-generation THz medical diagnostic apparatus that incorporates a new concept THz photonics into the bio-medical industry. The core components of the THz medical diagnostic device are the THz transmitter-receiver (Tx-Rx), the transmitter / receiver (Tx / Rx) individual elements are fabricated and integrated into a single chip transceiver (Couple- [Tx / Rx] A core device can be provided. For this purpose, the MBE growth method was used to investigate the ultrafast charge lifetime

<ps) and provides low-temperature growth (LTG) technology and multi-quantum well (MQW) growth at low temperatures for the fabrication of substrates with a sub-ps charge life for the receiver (Rx) Structure can be utilized.

THz A high-sensitivity probe module integrated with a single-chip transceiver ([Tx / Rx]) and a waveguide (WG) has been developed to provide a cancer diagnostic medical instrument including a glioma. (Tx / Rx) / THz probe-waveguide (Tx / Rx) and waveguide (WG) efficiently combined with optical fiber and ultra-small and high efficiency single chip transceiver (WG) modules, and 3) optimize the performance of medical devices for THz cancer surgery.

1 is a schematic view for explaining a cancer detection apparatus including a terahertz probe waveguide according to an embodiment.

1, a cancer detection apparatus 110 including a terahertz probe waveguide according to an embodiment includes a case 111, a tube 112, a core portion 113, and a transceiver chip 114 Lt; / RTI &gt; According to the embodiment, the cancer detecting apparatus 110 including the terahertz probe waveguide may further include an insulating plate 115. Furthermore, the cancer detecting device 110 including the terahertz probe waveguide may further include a needle tip configured to pass through the cap and the cap.

The cancer detection device 110 including the terahertz probe waveguide may be used as a medical device for a cancer surgery guide and a biopsy by combining various electronic devices such as a signal generator 120 required for signal processing. For example, the signal generator 120 may provide a laser beam to a cancer detection device 110 that includes a terahertz probe waveguide and may include a Lock-in Amplifier 121, an All-fiber Ultrafast Laser 122, and a Current Amplifier 123), and the like.

The case 111 is grasable, and a space for accommodating the tube 112 and the like can be formed therein. For example, the case 111 may have a cylindrical shape penetrating the inside of the case 111 to accommodate at least a part of the tube 112. Here, the case 111 may have various shapes, such as a cylindrical shape, as well as a tube 112 for receiving and facilitating gripping. At this time, an optical fiber is formed in the inner space on the rear side of the case 111, and a laser beam guided to the optical fiber for detecting cancer including brain glioma can be incident on the rear surface of the transceiver chip 114.

In addition, the LED module 116 may be formed at the end of the case 111 to inform the user of the presence or absence of the detection of cancer including the brain glare through light. That is, the LED module 116 may be attached to the end of the case 111 to quickly inform the medical staff about the presence or absence of the cancer, so that the presence or absence of the cancer can be indicated by the color of light or blinking.

The tube 112 can be accommodated in at least a part of the case 111, and the internal space portion can be formed and the core portion 113 can be disposed. For example, the intermediate portion and the rear end of the tube 112 may be housed in the case 111, and the front end may protrude outward.

In order to increase the THz wave transmission efficiency, the front end portion and / or the rear end portion of the tube 112 is gradually reduced in diameter toward the front end portion and / or the rear end portion from the center portion May be a losing form.

The core portion 113 is accommodated in the inner space portion of the tube 112 and may be axially spaced apart from the tube 112 by a predetermined distance. The core 113 may be made of a metal material. Here, the tube 112 and the core portion 113 can form one waveguide.

The front end of the core part 113 is guided to the outside of the front end of the tube 112 and the THz wave transmitted from the transceiver chip 114 is transmitted to detect cancer including brain glioma.

The tube 112 and the core 113 are formed in the form of a coaxial cable in which the core 113 is axially disposed in the tube 112 made of a metal material so as to reduce the THz wave transmission loss of the waveguide . The tube 112 may also be in the form of a cylinder without a center conductor. Here, the center conductor may mean the core portion 113, that is, the tube 112 may be formed in a cylindrical shape without the core portion 113.

The transceiver chip 114 is formed on the rear side of the core unit 113. A THz wave transmitter and a receiver Rx are formed on the substrate to transmit and detect THz waves. An optical fiber is arranged on the rear side of the transceiver chip 114, so that a laser beam guided to the optical fiber can be incident on the transceiver chip 114 for detecting cancer including brain glioma.

The transceiver chip 114 has a THz wave transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx formed on a single substrate and can transmit and detect THz waves in a single chip.

On the other hand, the optical fiber for inputting the laser beam may be provided from the signal generator 120, which is a separate medical device.

The insulating plate 115 is formed in the shape of a plate of an insulating material, and a hole may be formed in the insulating plate 115 to penetrate the core portion 113. For example, the insulating plate 115 may be made of Teflon, silicon, and a quartz plate. At least one or more insulation plates 115 may be formed on the inner side of the tube 112 to fix the core 113 to the inner space of the tube 112.

Furthermore, the cancer detection device 110 including the terahertz probe waveguide may further include a needle tip to be inserted into the cap and the cap.

The cap may be formed at the front end of the tube 112 and may be made of an insulating material such as silicon for contact between the front end side of the core portion 113 and the cancerous tumor.

A needle tip may be inserted into the cap and connected to the front end of the core portion 113. Such a needle tip is in contact with a body such as the brain at the time of surgery, and is connectable or detachable with the front end of the core portion 113 through the cap.

In other words, the tip of the terahertz probe waveguide can be a disposable needle tip that is sealed with an insulator with little THz wave loss and only the front part is replaceable. As a result, the portion of the brain or the like which is in contact with the body can be treated as a disposable product to protect the patient from contamination and infection.

In order to use the cancer detection device 110 including the terahertz probe waveguide for medical use, a cap capable of protecting the front end of the terahertz probe waveguide can be constituted.

At this time, the measured signal can have a minimum of 1nA current, 1THz bandwidth, and 1000: 1 S / N. The coupling efficiency between pulse laser and optical fiber is maximized by minimizing the distortion of the ultrashort pulses propagating through the optical fiber, and by minimizing the distortion of the THz ultra-high efficiency single-chip transceiver ([Tx / Rx]) THz wave generation efficiency can be optimized. For example, an all-fiber laser source (> 20 mW, <500 fs) suitable for generating THz waves can be provided.

For the miniaturization of the cancer detecting device 110 including the terahertz probe waveguide, the length can be shortened and the diameter of the needle tip can be designed to be about 1 mm, but the size is not limited.

For example, the cancer detection device 110 including the terahertz probe waveguide can generate and detect a THz wave signal, and can act as a guide for cancer surgery. The size of the terahertz probe waveguide can be designed within 15 cm in length and within 1 cm in diameter. The length of the signal cable provided from the signal generator 120 as a medical instrument can be designed to be 2 m at maximum and can be accessed from the signal generator 120 to all positions of the operating table.

 Embodiments provide cell-level high resolution analysis and diagnostic techniques using ultra-sensitive THz-probes by enabling miniaturization, high sensitivity, and high resolution techniques that were limited when applied to biomedical and medical diagnostics using THz waves .

By using the characteristics of the superconducting field formed by the focused electric field, it is possible to investigate the THz ultra-high electric field which could not be applied to the living body, so that various new biological phenomena can be observed.

2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a terahertz probe waveguide according to an embodiment.

2 schematically shows a terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to an embodiment, and is a partially cutaway view for explaining the inside. Referring to FIG. 2, a terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to an embodiment may include a tube 210, a core 220, and a transceiver chip 230. The terahertz probe waveguide 200 may further include an insulating plate 250 and may further include a needle tip (not shown) to be inserted into the cap 240 and the cap 240, Lt; / RTI &gt;

Here, the components of the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to one embodiment are the same as or similar to those of the components of the apparatus for detecting a cancer including the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to the embodiment described in FIG. 1 Components. For example, the tube 210, the core 220, the transceiver chip 230, the insulating plate 250, the cap 240, and the needle tip of the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to an embodiment The terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to the embodiment may be a component that performs the same or similar function as the component of the cancer detection apparatus including the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to the embodiment. In contrast, the components of the cancer detection device including the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to one embodiment include components that are the same as or similar to the components of the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to one embodiment can do. Each component will be described in more detail below.

The tube 210 may have an inner space formed therein and the core 220 may be disposed. The tube 210 may have a cylindrical shape, and the front end of the tube 210 may have a shape in which the diameter of the tube 210 gradually decreases in order to increase the THz wave transmission efficiency. At this time, the tube 210 can be used as a metal material or another material, but the inside can be treated with a metal surface.

The core portion 220 is accommodated in the inner space portion of the tube 210 and may be axially spaced apart from the tube 210 by a predetermined distance.

The front end 221 of the core 220 is guided to the outside of the front end of the tube 210 and the THz waves transmitted from the transceiver chip 230 are transmitted to detect thin films such as brain glaucoma, Can be analyzed.

The tube 210 and the core 220 forming the waveguide are formed in the form of a coaxial cable in which the core 220 is axially disposed in the tube 210 of the metal material, Transmission loss can be reduced.

The transceiver chip 230 is formed on the rear or rear end 222 of the core 220 and a THz wave transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx are formed on the substrate to transmit and detect the THz wave. The optical fiber 260 is disposed on the rear side of the transceiver chip 230, so that the laser beam guided to the optical fiber 260 can be incident on the transceiver chip 230.

The transceiver chip 230 has a THz wave transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx formed on a single substrate and can transmit and detect a THz wave in a single chip.

The insulating plate 250 is formed in a plate shape of an insulating material, and a hole is formed in the insulating plate 250 to accommodate the core portion 220. The insulating plate 250 may be formed at least one inside the tube 210 to fix the core 220 to the inner space of the tube 210. For example, the insulating plate 250 may be formed of a Teflon plate, and the thickness of the Teflon plate may be approximately 3 mm. However, the material and the thickness of the Teflon plate are not limited. As another example, the insulating plate 250 may be made of silicon, and a quartz plate.

Furthermore, the terahertz probe waveguide 200 may further comprise a needle tip to be inserted into the cap 240 and the cap 240.

The cap 240 may be formed at the front end of the tube 210 and may be made of an insulating material for contact between the front end side of the core portion 220 and the cancerous tumor.

A needle tip is inserted into the cap 240 and can be connected to the front end of the core portion 220. This needle tip is interchangeable with or connected to the front end of the core portion 220 through the cap 240.

According to embodiments, it is possible to provide a miniaturized, high-sensitivity, high-resolution terahertz probe waveguide for cancer detection including a glioma through a THz wave. In addition, a THz probe-waveguide (WG) integration module can be used to diagnose cancer in all parts of the body that the THz probe can access, Thickness and characteristics can be analyzed.

These terahertz probe waveguides can improve the S / N ratio of the THz near-field signals of ultra-small, high-efficiency single-chip transceivers ([Tx / Rx]) to more than 5,000: 1 and provide ultra-high efficiency single-chip transceivers [ Rx]), it is possible to keep the THz wave loss below -6dB at each step by designing the waveguide direct-coupled THz probe module.

In addition, the terahertz probe waveguide can maximize the generation and detection efficiency of THz waves by using a stable all-optical fiber (all-fiber) ultrasound laser source.

3 is a diagram illustrating a transceiver chip according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, a transceiver chip 230 is formed on the rear side of a waveguide, and a THz wave transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx are formed on a substrate to transmit and detect a THz wave. The optical fiber 260 is disposed on the rear side of the transceiver chip 230 so that the laser beam 261 guided to the optical fiber 260 can be incident on the transceiver chip 230.

The transceiver chip 230 has a THz wave transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx formed on a single substrate and can transmit and detect a THz wave in a single chip.

Moreover, the transceiver chip 230 may be a THz wave generator (not shown) that operates on a semi-insulating (SI) substrate that is insulated or semi-insulating and operates without a bias voltage, Or a detector or a receiver Rx that is located at a predetermined distance from the transmitter Tx and detects a THz wave (Patent Document 1). Here, the transmitter Tx is constituted by a metal line having a constant thickness and line width, and the receiver Rx may include a second active layer located on the substrate and a photoconductive antenna located on the second active layer. The voltage-free transmitter / receiver (Tx / Rx) operating in the THz waveband does not use a bias voltage, so a signal-to-noise ratio is remarkably improved and a pulse laser light source having a low peak power can be used. It can be used safely even when it is applied to medical diagnostic equipment which should be targeted to human body.

4 is a view for explaining a terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, a terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment is schematically shown, and is partially cut to explain the inside. In this case, the terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment may be formed of a cylindrical waveguide 410 having no central conductor therein.

That is, the terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment may comprise a tube and a transceiver chip. According to an embodiment, the terahertz probe waveguide may further comprise a needle tip inserted into the cap and the cap.

More specifically, the terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment comprises a tube on which an inner space is formed and a rear side of the tube, and a THz wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) are formed on the substrate And a transceiver chip for transmitting and detecting a THz wave. Here, the tube is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the front end is gradually reduced in diameter to increase the THz wave transmission efficiency, and the THz wave transmitted from the transceiver chip can be transmitted to the front end portion through the inner space portion of the tube.

Here, the terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment may include the same or similar components as those of the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to the embodiment described in FIG. For example, a terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment may be fabricated in the same manner as the tube 210, the transceiver chip 230, the cap 240, and the needle tip of the terahertz probe waveguide 200 according to one embodiment. Or may include components that perform similar functions.

The terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment is formed in the form of a cylindrical waveguide 410 having no center conductor, in which case the transmission loss is relatively small and the guiding characteristic is excellent. In this case, the cylindrical waveguide 410 without a central conductor can be configured such that its diameter gradually decreases toward the front end portion and / or the rear end portion from the central portion. As a result, the THz wave transmission efficiency of the waveguide can be increased. On the other hand, a conventional metal wire waveguide has a very low THz wave transmission loss and can transmit a TEM mode without a cutoff frequency, but has poor guiding characteristics.

Here, the tube of the terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment is formed much smaller than the terahertz probe waveguide according to the embodiment of Fig. 2, so that the THz wave transmission loss of the waveguide can be reduced. For example, the inner diameter of the cylinder of the tube of the terahertz probe waveguide according to another embodiment may be approximately 2 to 3 mm. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the cylinder of the tube of the terahertz probe waveguide according to an embodiment may be about 10 mm.

As another example, as described in Fig. 2, the waveguide includes a tube and a core portion, and the tube and the core portion may be configured in the form of a coaxial cable. That is, the core portion is formed in a coaxial cable shape in which a core portion is disposed axially in a tube of a metal material, thereby reducing the THz wave transmission loss of the waveguide.

In case of a general coaxial cable shape, the guiding characteristic is very good, but there is a THz wave transmission loss due to the insulating material. Therefore, in this embodiment, by providing a structure for supporting the core portion which is the center metal by additionally configuring the insulating plate, it is possible to design the probe portion of the THz medical system which reduces the transmission loss by coping with the insulating material with air (empty space). In order to overcome the cut-off frequency of TE11 mode according to the structure, the diameter of the cylinder of the tube can be designed to be sufficiently large.

In this way, the THz wave transmission and efficiency characteristics of the waveguide structure can be evaluated and analyzed to construct a database for the THz probe-waveguide (WG) module.

5 is a diagram illustrating a waveguide directly connected to a transceiver chip according to an embodiment.

When a THz field focused around the end of a cylindrical waveguide (WG) is detected using a single dipole antenna, it has a limit to detect an electric field at one point. To overcome this limitation, as shown in FIG. 5, [3x3] array 2D multi-dipole antennas are disposed around the core 520 to measure the entire THz field can do. Here, [3x3] array 2D multi-dipole antennas can be placed on the backside of the transceiver chip 510. [

An algorithm capable of processing data obtained from such a 3x3 2D array Rx chip can improve field strength up to three times as much as data processing by a single antenna.

According to embodiments, the new THz Couple - Tiny / High Efficiency Single Chip Transceiver ([Tx / Rx]) core device is expected to contribute to the performance advancement of all the next generation THz wave application devices for medical diagnosis.

In particular, brain glioma is the most common disease among the brain tumors in Korea. Glioblastoma is the most common disease (12.6% 2 years after surgery) with the worst prognosis. Many conventional anticancer drugs for brain glioma therapy have been proven effective in preclinical studies, but failed during clinical trials, and new directional target selection and approaches are needed for the diagnosis and treatment of brain gliomas. There are gender, mutation type, and complete excision of brain glioma lesion, which are good prognostic factors for brain glioma treatment. However, a good prognostic factor is the complete removal of brain glioma through surgical operation. This is the best treatment.

There are two types of techniques that are currently used during surgery to remove brain gliomas: neuro-navigation using contrast agents, intraoperative MRI, and fluorescence imaging. Protoporphyrin IX (ppIX), an expensive contrast agent, Fluorescence imaging technology is most effectively used. However, despite the state - of - the - art technology, the probability of fluorescence expression is as low as 66% in grade 3 brain gliomas and 0% in grade 2 brain glaucoma. In addition, the use of a contrast agent causes side effects such as light discoloration and photosensitivity. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to develop a technique for diagnosing low-grade brain glioma and describing the boundary without using contrast agent.

According to the embodiments, the imaging technique using the THz electromagnetic wave, which is sensitive to the difference between the water and the fat, is capable of diagnosing and delineating cancer such as low grade brain glioma during surgery that is impossible with conventional techniques, Because it is not used, there is no side effect of contrast agent, and FDA approval is very high, so it is a practical technology that can be used in clinical practice.

Thus, according to the embodiments, it is possible to present a new paradigm for describing and treating tumor tissue in cancer surgery such as brain glioma by realizing the use of contrast medium-free and low-grade brain glioma boundaries, By eliminating the use of contrast agents, the effect of reducing medical costs is very high.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. For example, it is to be understood that the techniques described may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and / or that components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, Lt; / RTI &gt; or equivalents, even if it is replaced or replaced.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (16)

A tube in which an inner space portion is formed;
A core portion accommodated in the inner space portion of the tube and disposed axially spaced apart from the tube by a predetermined distance; And
A THz wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) are formed on the substrate on the rear side of the core part, and a transceiver chip
/ RTI &gt;
The front end of the core portion
And a THz wave guided outside the front end of the tube and transmitted from the transceiver chip is transmitted. The method according to claim 1,
And an insulating plate having a plate shape of an insulating material and having a hole formed therein,
Further comprising:
Wherein the insulating plate comprises:
Wherein at least one or more of the tubes are disposed on the inner side of the tube to fix the core portion to the inner space of the tube. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the insulating plate comprises:
A plate made of at least one of Teflon, silicon, and quartz
Wherein the waveguide is a waveguide. The method according to claim 1,
The tube may comprise:
And is made of a metal material,
Wherein the tube and the core are in the form of a coaxial cable in which the core is axially disposed within the tube of metallic material or the tube is in the form of a cylinder without a center conductor to reduce THz wave transmission loss
Wherein the waveguide is a waveguide. The method according to claim 1,
The tube may comprise:
The front end portion of which has a smaller diameter in order to increase the THz wave transmission efficiency
Wherein the waveguide is a waveguide. The method according to claim 1,
A cap made of an insulating material for contacting the front end side of the core part with the cancerous tumor,
Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; a &lt; / RTI &gt; terahertz probe waveguide. The method according to claim 6,
A needle tip to be inserted into the cap,
Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; a &lt; / RTI &gt; terahertz probe waveguide. 8. The method of claim 7,
The needle tip,
Which can be connected to or separated from the front end of the core through the cap
Wherein the waveguide is a waveguide. The method according to claim 1,
The transceiver chip includes:
The THz wave transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx) are formed on a single substrate, and a THz wave is transmitted and detected in a single chip
Wherein the waveguide is a waveguide. A gripable case;
A tube accommodated in at least a part of the case and having an inner space portion formed therein;
A core portion accommodated in the inner space portion of the tube and disposed axially spaced apart from the tube by a predetermined distance; And
A THz wave transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx) are formed on the substrate on the rear side of the core part, and a transceiver chip
/ RTI &gt;
In this case,
And a laser beam guided to the optical fiber is incident on a rear surface of the transceiver chip for detecting cancer including brain glioma,
The front end of the core portion
And the THz wave transmitted from the transceiver chip is guided to the outside of the front end of the tube to detect cancer including brain glioma
And a terahertz probe waveguide. 11. The method of claim 10,
In this case,
LED module is formed at the end to inform the light through the detection of cancer including brain glaucoma
And a terahertz probe waveguide. 11. The method of claim 10,
And an insulating plate having a plate shape of an insulating material and having a hole formed therein,
Further comprising:
Wherein the insulating plate comprises:
Wherein at least one or more of the tubes are disposed inside the tube to fix the core portion to the inner space of the tube. 11. The method of claim 10,
The tube may comprise:
The diameter of the front end portion is gradually decreased to increase the THz wave transmission efficiency,
Wherein the tube and the core are in the form of a coaxial cable in which the core is axially disposed within the tube of metallic material or the tube is in the form of a cylinder to reduce THz wave transmission loss
Wherein the terahertz probe waveguide includes at least one terahertz probe waveguide. 11. The method of claim 10,
A cap formed on the front end of the tube and made of an insulating material to prevent a loss of the THz wave on the front end side of the core part; And
A needle tip inserted into the cap and connected to a front end of the core portion,
And a terahertz probe waveguide. 15. The method of claim 14,
The needle tip,
Which is in contact with the brain or body during surgery and is connectable or detachable with the front end of the core through the cap,
And a terahertz probe waveguide. A tube in which an inner space portion is formed; And
A THz wave transmitter and a receiver Rx are formed on the rear side of the tube to transmit and detect a THz wave,
/ RTI &gt;
The tube may comprise:
Wherein a diameter of the front end of the THz wave propagating through the transceiver chip is gradually reduced to increase THz wave transmission efficiency and the THz wave transmitted from the transceiver chip is transmitted to the front end through the inner space of the tube.

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