Form 1

2019 Report Form for Collaboration with
Research Center for Biomedical Engineering

Year/month/date
Numberdate:

Date/Month/Year
28/03/2020

To Chairman, Board of Directors, Research Center for Biomedical Engineering

ApplicantAffiliation
Title

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Head of Department
Accelerator Research and Development + Operations II
Bründermann, ErikKIT CN IBPT Bldg. 345
Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1
D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

Name
Address

Phone
Fax
E-mail+49 721 608 28576+49 721 608 26789
erik.bruendermann@kit.edu
Report Form for Collaboration Research

Research Theme（和）生体医歯検査応用のための非侵襲・非破壊テラヘルツイメージング技術の研究 (No. 2032)（英）Non-invasive and non-destructive terahertz imaging for diagnostics and bio-medical
applications (No. 2032)

Research Area

1. Biomaterials
2. Bioengineering
3. Functional molecules○,4. Chemistry/Electrical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science

Research Period

From:Date/month/Year
14/05/2019

To: Date/month/Year
31/03/2020

Applicant Organization
Name

Department

Title

Role

Bründermann, Erik

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),
Institute for Beam Physics and Technology(IBPT)Head ofDepartment, Dr.

Project leader

Hiromoto, Norihisa

Shizuoka University, Graduate School ofscience and technology

Professor, Dr.

Collaborator(Measurement)

Tripathi, Saroj R.

Shizuoka University, Faculty of Engineering

Associate
Professor, Dr.

Collaborator(Analysis)

Collaboration Partners
Research Centerinthe静岡大学電子工学研究所 ナノシステム集積化分野
猪川 洋
Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University
Professor Dr. Inokawa, Hiroshi

教授Research Results (Including Purpose, Results, Figures, etc.)
PurposeElectromagnetic waves have a high potential for diagnostics, understanding and treatment of illnesses, e.g.
elevated skin temperature measured by infrared (IR) cameras is an indicator of infection. Using visible, IR, andterahertz (THz) waves has given a new understanding of patient’s dry skin (1), of healing processes after plasma
treatment of wounds (2), and new insights into sweat ducts properties (3). A prerequisite for non-invasive imagingof skin are cameras enabling systematic medical studies with high statistical value. Our research tackles thechallenge to correlate spectral fingerprints in the visible, IR, and THz region of heterogeneous complex
biocompatible materials, cells, tissue, and skin. Our strategy is to measure additional modalities by providing theimaging technologies for discoveries. Our research concentrates on the development of the required technology
and THz spectral fingerprints/resonances.
Results
During project No. 2032 at the Research Center of Biomedical Engineering and the MOU between KIT andShizuoka University, the technology has progressed by identifying suitable materials (4). We studied a longmeander-line, titanium thermistor to obtain higher responsivity by the larger resistance (5). This meander line with
0.1-µm width and 90-μm length is at the core of the THz detector pixel (Fig. 1). A single pixel usable at 10times
higher (500 Hz) than typical camera framerates of 50 Hz and illuminated with a few nW at 1 THz showed about
1000times lower noise level. We achieved a noise-equivalent power (NEP) value of 6.7 pW in a 1 Hz bandwidth(5). Simulation suggests response times suitable for framerates even beyond 5000 Hz. A multi-spectral camera
concept for imaging and high throughput applications with detector antennas, resonant at 3 different THz
frequencies (pixel arrangement symbolized by color), was presented (6) at the 4th International SymposiumBiomedical Engineering (ISBE), see Fig. 2.
FiguresFig. 1. Antenna-coupled bolometer with a meander thermistor. Inset (right): photo of 3 pixel.

Fig. 2: (a) Detector antennas, resonant for 3 different THz frequencies (symbolized by 3 colored squares/pixel),(b) artists’ view and concept of multi-spectral/color camera pixel arrangement, (c) positioning forpolarization-sensitive measurements (symbolized by colored rectangles), (d) artists’ view and concepts ofmulti-spectral and polarization-sensitive camera.

References (project members underlined)(1) M. Mischo, L.B. Kobyletzki, E. Bründermann, et al., “Similar appearance, different mechanisms: xerosis inHIV, atopic dermatitis and ageing,” Experimental dermatology 23(6), 446-448 (2014). DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.12425.
(2) K. Kartaschew, M. Mischo, S. Baldus, E. Bründermann, et al., “Unraveling the interactions between cold
atmospheric plasma and skin-components with vibrational microspectroscopy,” Biointerphases 10, 029516(2015). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4919610.
(3) S. R. Tripathi, et al., “Morphology of human sweat ducts observed by optical coherence tomography and theirfrequency of resonance in the terahertz frequency region,” Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 9071 (2015).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep09071.
(4) N. Hiromoto, A. Banerjee, D. Elamaran, M. Aoki, C. Apriono, H. Satoh, E. Bruendermann, E. T. Rahardjo, H.
Inokawa, “Room-Temperature Terahertz Antenna-Coupled Microbolometers with Titanium Thermistor andHeater.” Proc. 16th Int. Conf. on Quality in Research (QIR): Int. Symp. Electr. and Comput. Eng., Padang, RI,
July 22-24 (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/QIR.2019.8898200.
(5) N. Hiromoto, A. Banerjee, D. Elamaran, M. Aoki, C. Apriono, H. Satoh, E. Bruendermann, E. T. Rahardjo, H.
Inokawa, “High Responsivity and Low NEP of Room-Temperature Terahertz Antenna-Coupled
Microbolometers with Meander Titanium Thermistor.” 44th Int. Conf. Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz
Waves, Paris, Sep. 1-6 (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/IRMMW-THz.2019.8874346.
(6) E. Bruendermann, S. R. Tripathi, N. Hiromoto, H. Inokawa, “Non-invasive and non-destructive terahertz
imaging for diagnostics and bio-medical applications,” 4th Int. Symp. Biomed. Eng. (ISBE), Hamamatsu,Nov. 14-15, ISBE2019, ID: #094, Poster P2-28 (2019).

List of Publications Related to the Collaboration Research
1. Hiromoto, N.; Banerjee, A.; Elamaran, D.; Aoki, M.; Apriono, C.; Satoh, H.; Bruendermann, E.; Rahardjo, E.
T.; Inokawa, H. 2019. “Room-Temperature Terahertz Antenna-Coupled Microbolometers with Titanium
Thermistor and Heater.” Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Quality in Research (QIR):
International Symposium on Electrical and Computer Engineering, Padang, RI, July 22-24, 2019, IEEE, DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1109/QIR.2019.8898200.
2. Hiromoto, N.; Banerjee, A.; Elamaran, D.; Aoki, M.; Apriono, C.; Satoh, H.; Bründermann, E.; Rahardjo, E.
T.; Inokawa, H.. 2019. “High Responsivity and Low NEP of Room-Temperature Terahertz Antenna-Coupled
Microbolometers with Meander Titanium Thermistor.” IRMMW-THz 2019: 44th International Conference on
Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, Paris, 1-6 September 2019, IEEE, DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1109/IRMMW-THz.2019.8874346.
3. Bruendermann, E.; Tripathi, S. R.; Hiromoto, N.; Inokawa, H., “Toward non invasive diagnostics andimaging of human skin disentangling xerosis of HIV and atopic dermatitis patients and due to ageing, ofphysicochemical changes in skin due to plasma treatment, and of human sweat ducts with technologies in theterahertz region and beyond,” Part of the "Annual meeting 2019" report for the “Collaborative Research in
Biomedical Research” project No. 2032 with Research Institute of Electronics (RIE) of Shizuoka University,Hamamatsu Campus, Japan. Published in KITopen, https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000117744,Open Access.

List of Presentations ( Conference, Meeting, etc)
1. Hiromoto, N.; Banerjee, A.; Elamaran, D.; Aoki, M.; Apriono, C.; Satoh, H.; Bruendermann, E.; Rahardjo, E.
T.; Inokawa, H. 2019. “Room-Temperature Terahertz Antenna-Coupled Microbolometers with Titanium
Thermistor and Heater.” Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Quality in Research (QIR):
International Symposium on Electrical and Computer Engineering, Padang, RI, July 22-24, 2019, IEEE, DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1109/QIR.2019.8898200.
2. Hiromoto, N.; Banerjee, A.; Elamaran, D.; Aoki, M.; Apriono, C.; Satoh, H.; Bründermann, E.; Rahardjo, E.
T.; Inokawa, H.. 2019. “High Responsivity and Low NEP of Room-Temperature Terahertz Antenna-Coupled
Microbolometers with Meander Titanium Thermistor.” IRMMW-THz 2019: 44th International Conference on
Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, Paris, 1-6 September 2019, IEEE, DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1109/IRMMW-THz.2019.8874346.
3. Bruendermann, E.; Tripathi, S. R.; Hiromoto, N.; Inokawa, H., “Non-invasive and non-destructive terahertz
imaging for diagnostics and bio-medical applications,” The 4th Int. Symp. Biomed. Eng. (ISBE), Hamamatsu,Nov. 14-15, ISBE2019, ID: #094, Poster P2-28 (2019). The 4th International Symposium on Biomedical
Engineering (ISBE2019) sponsored by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology[MEXT], Japan in Hamamatsu, Japan.
List of Awards
April 2019: Erik Bründermann elected as Honorable Guest Professor of Shizuoka University, Graduate School ofScience and Technology, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.

Registration of research-theme continuation for next year
Prior consent from the collaboration partner in the Research Center is necessary.

Yes

NoResearch plan for the next year (from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021), if the collaboration research is continued.
We plan to advance the technologies on THz array and camera technologies further and stable conditions for THz
light sources to foster systematic studies and statistics for medical researches. High THz source power andsensitive cameras allows multi-modal, multi-dimensional data for systematic medical imaging with high statisticalvalue. The research is required to enable the systematic study of heterogeneous materials such as complex
aqueous solutions with biomolecules relevant to medicine, biocompatible materials, cells and tissue. We also
study the techniques for observing fingerprints of biological matter in the terahertz spectral region mostly terra
incognita in which high potential for discoveries is expected. This work shall be conducted in the framework of
the 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),
Germany, and Shizuoka University (SU), Japan, on November 24th, 2015, and as Cooperative Research of theResearch Institute of Electronics for the Research Center of Biomedical Engineering. Preparations for extending
the MOU by another 5 years are under way at KIT and SU.