Research Advances in Terahertz Technology for Skin Detection.

Abstract

Background: With the continuous development of Terahertz technology and its high sensitivity to water, Terahertz technology has been widely applied in various research areas within the field of biomedicine, such as research onskin wounds and burns, demonstrating numerous advantages and potential. Objective: The aim of this study is to summarize and conclude the current research status of Terahertz radiation in skin wounds, burns, and melanoma. Additionally, it seeks toreveal the development status of Terahertz in skin wound models and analyze the short comings of Terahertz in detecting such models at the present stage. Methods: We retrieved relevant literature published from the inception of the Web of Science and CNKI databases up to 2024. The search terms included "THz," "Terahertz," "skin," "wound," "burn," and "melanoma." High-quality articles were included after rigorous screening. Results and Conclusions: This review explores the progress of terahertz radiation technology in the treatment and diagnosis of skin wounds and other related diseases. The results of its interaction with skin tissues provide valuable insights for future research. Terahertz radiation imaging has proven to be effective in assessing burn severity, capturing changes in edema, measuring exudates in dressings, assisting in burn grading and detection, and quantifying wound changes over time. Terahertz technology offers significant advantages in trauma assessment, which has accelerated its development and adoption in this field. (4) However, fs-THz radiation has been found to have the potential drawback of affecting wound healing. This finding necessitates careful consideration before application, and further research is warranted to explore its role in burn assessment and other medical applications.