Portable Spectral Reflection Scanner (PHASR)

History

2023: Development Announcement

In early February 2023 Stony Brook University New York , a manual scanner was presented in the, which uses terahertz spectroscopy in the time domain and neural network analysis of data for a non-invasive assessment of severity. burns skin

A portable spectral reflection scanner (PHASR) probes burn injury with pulses of terahertz radiation. The terahertz reflectivity of the skin changes in burns, allowing the neural network to assess the signal and determine the depth of the burn. The technology could allow for more accurate assessment of burn injuries and help with treatment planning.

Demonstration of scanner operation

The technology relies on irradiating the burn with terahertz radiation, causing physical changes in the burned tissue to alter the reflected signal. This is interpreted by a neural network that the researchers trained by correlating tissue biopsies that indicate burn depth with terahertz radiation data. Previous iterations of such technology until 2023 turned out to be too cumbersome, inconvenient and expensive for routine use.

Our study could significantly improve burn healing outcomes through surgical treatment planning, which could have a significant impact on reducing length of hospital stay and number of surgical skin transplant procedures, as well as improving rehabilitation after injuries, said study head Hassan Arbab.

Scanner Operation Diagram

The portable device uses a dual fiber-femtosecond laser with a central wavelength of 1560 nm and terahertz photo-conducting antennas in a telecentric configuration to quickly visualize the field of view of 37x27 mm sq in just a few seconds. The researchers hope the device will make a difference for patients who experience these complex injuries and the doctors who treat them.

For 2018, according to the FDA, approximately 416 thousand patients were treated for burn injuries in emergency rooms in the United States alone. However, existing methods for assessing burn depth, which are based on visual and tactile inspection, have proved unreliable, their accuracy fluctuating around 60-75%.^[1]

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