Abstract-Single-cell terahertz spectral characteristics in simulated scattering near-field imaging mode

Jie Wang, Shihan Yan, Zaoxia Li, Ziyi Zang, Xingxing Lu, and Hong-Liang Cui

Schematic of the coupled tip–cell model system.

https://www.osapublishing.org/osac/abstract.cfm?URI=osac-3-8-2096

Spectral imaging of a single cell with terahertz (THz) wave is valuable in determination of its physiological state for cell-based precision diagnosis, as THz photon energy is in tune with the vibration-rotation and conformation related excitations of cellular material, and THz absorption is extremely sensitive to the state and degree of hydration of a cell. Because of the severe mismatch between the cell size and the THz wavelength, such imaging has to be carried out in the near-field modality. To make the design and performance assessment of a THz near-field spectral imager effective and systematic, we simulate the scattering THz near-field signals of tumor cells by strictly controlling cell model parameters with representative physiological states. The results demonstrate that the specific physiological characteristics from intracellular hydration state, nucleocytoplasmic ratio, and cell geometric morphology of tumor cells can be characterized quantitatively by their discrepant dielectric response in the THz band, correlating THz near-field scattering signal from a cell with the latter’s corresponding physicochemical state.

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