Development of the methods for brain function imaging by electromagnetic waves

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15525
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Seiji 浜松医科大学, 光尖端医学教育研究センター, 理事 (60144094)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): FUKUSHI Yasuko 浜松医科大学, 光尖端医学教育研究センター, 特任研究員 (50722683) ; TAKAGI Tokio 浜松医科大学, 光尖端医学教育研究センター, 特任助教
• Research Collaborator: YAMAGUCHI Sayuri キヤノン株式会社, テラヘルツイメージング研究室, 研究員 ; OUCHI Toshihiko キヤノン株式会社, テラヘルツイメージング研究室, 研究室長
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脳機能イメージング / 赤外光 / テラヘルツ波 / 電磁波

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To examine the principle of a simple method to image the brain function both in the surface and the deep parts, we investigated whether brain functions can be evaluated in rats using long wavelength light.
Experimentally, the head of rats were irradiated with a laser beam having a wavelength of 5.73 μm, and detection of its transmission was attempted, but no specific peak was obtained. It is considered that light is absorbed by blood, tissue water, cerebrospinal fluid, light is not traveling straight due to scattering, and the optical path length is not constant, which is a factor impeding measurement. Brain slice imaging (collaborative research with Canon) by terahertz wave (0.8-1.5 THz, 1 THz = wavelength 300 μm) was attempted. As a result, the refractive index increased in the tumor area, and it became clear that it is possible to differentiate between brain tumor and normal brain.

Free Research Field

脳神経外科