Terahertz scanning near-field optical microscopy for biomedical detection: Recent advances, challenges, and future perspectives

Terahertz (THz) radiation is widely recognized as a non-destructive, label-free, and highly- sensitive tool for biomedical detections. Nevertheless, its application in precision biomedical fields faces challenges due to poor spatial resolution caused by intrinsically long wavelength characteristics....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotechnology advances 2025-03, Vol.79, p.108507, Article 108507
Main Authors: Yan, Shihan, Cheng, Guanyin, Yang, Zhongbo, Guo, Yuansen, Chen, Ligang, Fu, Ying, Qiu, Fucheng, Wilksch, Jonathan J., Wang, Tianwu, Sun, Yiwen, Fan, Junchao, Wei, Xunbin, Han, Jiaguang, Sun, Fei, Xu, Shixiang, Wang, Huabin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical detection
Imaging
Scanning near-field optical microscopy
Super resolution
Terahertz
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Summary:Terahertz (THz) radiation is widely recognized as a non-destructive, label-free, and highly- sensitive tool for biomedical detections. Nevertheless, its application in precision biomedical fields faces challenges due to poor spatial resolution caused by intrinsically long wavelength characteristics. THz scanning near-field optical microscopy (THz-SNOM), which surpasses the Rayleigh criterion, offers micrometer and nanometer-scale spatial resolution, making it possible to perform precise bioinspection with THz imaging. THz-SNOM is attracting considerable attention for its potential in advanced biomedical research and diagnosis. Currently, its family typically includes four members based on distinct principles, which are suitable for different biological applications. This review provides an overview of the principles of these THz-SNOM modalities, outlines their various applications, identifies the obstacles hindering their performance, and envisions their future development. •Terahertz imaging enables bio-detection in a non-destructive and label-free manner.•THz-SNOM has a high spatial resolution which breaks through the Rayleigh limit.•Different types of THz-SNOM possessing micron- or nano-resolution have been developed.•Tissues, single cells, and single molecules have been investigated with THz-SNOM.•Challenges remain in the development and application of THz-SNOM.
ISSN:0734-9750
1873-1899
1873-1899
DOI:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108507