Medicine Technology
At terahertz.NRW, we develop THz-based solutions for theranostics, point-of-care medicine, and hospital systems. A key focus is movement and vital diagnostics, where THz technology enables high-resolution, contactless monitoring of vital signs and muscle activity. This enhances exoskeleton and prosthetic control while providing a non-invasive alternative for tracking heart and respiratory rates.
Our research also explores tissue diagnostics and biosensors. We investigate THz imaging for real-time tumor assessment, including THz endoscopy for improved precision in histopathology. Additionally, we integrate THz sensors with microsystems to advance point-of-care diagnostics and neuroscience. Through these innovations, terahertz.NRW is driving the future of medical technology.
Research Topics
Movement and Vitality Diagnostics
Tissue Diagnostics and Dermatology
Microfluidic Biosensors
THz technology enables high-resolution measurements, even through textile materials, allowing the contactless monitoring of subtle movements on the body’s surface. By analyzing muscle movements, we aim to improve the control mechanisms for exoskeletons and prostheses. In addition, the unique properties of THz waves position this technology as a promising solution to overcome the limitations of current methods for monitoring vital parameters. In this context, THz technology is being explored as a non-invasive and non-contact alternative to traditional methods of measuring vital parameters such as respiration and heart rate.
Motion and vital diagnostics (AP6.3, Seidl, Kaiser, Kirchner, Saraceno, Tschulik): The ability of THz technology to detect distances with very high resolution in the far field, even through clothing, offers the possibility of non-contact vital diagnostics [KEB/2020]. The detection of muscle movements potentially enables the control of exoskeletons and prostheses. In addition, substance-specific frequency responses allow multi-parametric vital diagnostics, which could enable the determination of respiratory and pulse rate, pulse wave transit time, but also the glucose content. In WP2.6 (Czylwik, Kirchner, Seidl, Weimann), system approaches for detecting muscle movements through micro-movements of the skin are being developed using THz sensors. In WP5.4 (Seidl, Benson, Kirchner), AI-based methods are being developed in order to deduce from the THz far-field sensor measurements to infer the distributed micro-movements of the skin surface, e.g. on the forearm (cf. tactile myography) and thus the intended finger movements. Furthermore, the fine control of the hand on the basis of fine, superficially visible muscle movement in combination with tracking using THz tags will be investigated. The approaches will then be evaluated in WP6.3 (motion and full application terahertz.NRW 10/40 vital diagnostics) for use in diagnostics, monitoring and patient assistance for the long-term measurement of physiological data. Functional studies and comparative measurements with state-of-the-art EMG and ultrasound-based approaches and alternative approaches for large-area contact-based measurement of muscle movements are planned.
Research Objectives
- Development of a contactless THz method for monitoring heart and respiratory rate.
- Analysis of the influence of clothing on measurement accuracy.
- Evaluation of the suitability of different THz frequency bands for vital diagnostics.
Methods
- Evaluierung von Systemkonzepten für erweitertEvaluation of system concepts for advanced vital signs diagnostics.e Vitaldiagnostik.
- Signal processing for extracting vital parameters from amplitude and phase information.
- Functional studies on test subjects to validate the results.
Research Highlights
- Results on terahertz respiratory frequency measurement will be presented at ICM2TS 2025.
- Paper: Svenja Nicola Kobel, Yamen Zantah, Andreas Prokscha, Christian Wiede, Gerd vom Bögel, Thomas Kaiser and Karsten Seidl, “Terahertz Remote Respiration Rate Monitoring”.
- Terahertz technology shows potential as a contactless, non-invasive alternative to vital signs monitoring.
We are exploring the potential of THz imaging for mobile histopathology with the aim of enabling rapid intraoperative assessment of tumor margins. This approach goes beyond the correlation of tissue properties with water content and includes detailed analysis of morphological and physical properties. A major focus is on the development of a THz endoscope that will enable high-resolution imaging in real time.
“Tissue diagnostics” (AP6.4, Hillger, Pfeiffer, Seidl, Stöhr, Klode, Schadendorff, N. Krämer): Another visionary application of THz technology in medicine is mobile histopathology based on high-resolution THz imaging for the diagnosis of tumor tissue and neoplasms with regard to rapid intraoperative measurement of tumor margins [ZAY/2020]. Modern functional THz approaches are currently attempting to go beyond the dominant correlation of tissue characteristics to water content in order to also capture morphological and physical properties. A reflectometric and/or spectroscopic “THz endoscope” is currently still a major technical challenge. In WP4.1 (Hillger, Neumaier, Pfeiffer, Benson, Kirchner, Rennings, Stöhr, Hoffmann), a high-resolution THz near-field sensor system will be integrated into complete systems based on novel near-field sensor architectures available from preliminary work at the BUW (previously fiber-optic) and consistently further developed into application-oriented components. Aspects here include the further development of “true-wireless” solutions and intelligent signal processing (WP5.6, Hillger, Pfeiffer, Seidl, Balzer, Brenner, Klaes, Rolfes). In the field of imaging sensor technology, WP4.1 (Hillger, Neumaier, Pfeiffer, Benson, Kirchner, Rennings, Stöhr, Hoffmann) will further develop large-scale incoherently operated THz near-field sensor arrays in conventional SiGe technology for microscopic clinical tumor margin imaging in real time. The developed systems will lead to a technical demonstrator in WP5.6 (Hillger, Pfeiffer, Seidl, Erni, Brenner, Klaes, Rolfes) and can thus be made available to a larger number of users within the network. The core fields of application for this are the detection of malignant tissue in tumors.
The integration of THz sensor technology with microsystem technologies opens up promising new applications in point-of-care diagnostics and neuroscience. Our current projects are investigating surface functionalization and THz microsystems.
“Microfluidic biosensors” (AP6.5, Weyers, Klein, Hoffmann, Hofmann, Klaes): The combination of THz sensor technology [BRE/2018] with microsystems-based manufacturing processes is giving rise to interesting fields of application in point-of-care diagnostics and neuroscience [ZHA/2021]. For this purpose, surface functionalizations are evaluated in WP4.2 (Hillger, Neumaier, Pfeiffer, Weyers, Weimann, Klaes) and functionalized THz microsystem technologies are evaluated in WP4.3 (Neumaier, Pfeiffer, Weyers, Benson, Klein, Weimann, Hofmann, Hoffmann). Possible applications include the detection of pathogens, the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and the detection of neurotransmitters. Depending on the target species, the approaches vary from the presence of pathogens to the detection of altered proteins in Alzheimer’s disease. The test series are then evaluated in comparison with conventional diagnostic procedures.
Technological Challenges

Sensor-based Signal Processing

THz Measurement Concepts and Systems

Tomographic 3D Methods

Resource-efficient Methods

- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karsten Seidl
- karsten.seidl@ims.fraunhofer.de
- ims.fraunhofer.de/en/Business-Unit/Health