Highly Sensitive Terahertz Metamaterial Biosensor for Early Cancer Detection and Diagnosis

Detecting cancer at an early stage is essential for improving treatment effectiveness and lowering mortality rates. This study presents the development of a highly sensitive THz metamaterial biosensor designed specifically for early blood cancer detection. By systematically analyzing the effects of substrate materials, metallic ring widths, and analyte layer thicknesses, the research identifies critical design parameters that significantly influence the sensor's performance. The PET substrate was found to provide superior sensitivity due to its favorable dielectric properties, while an <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$8 \mu \mathrm{m}$</tex> ring width achieved the highest absorption of 99.80% with a sensitivity of 921 GHz/RIU (Refractive index unit). Additionally, an analyte layer thickness of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$15 \mu \mathrm{m}$</tex> yielded the best resonance response, achieving an absorption peak of 99.88% and a sensitivity of 828 GHz/RIU. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing material properties and geometric configurations in enhancing the efficacy of terahertz biosensors, paving the way for their application in non-invasive and highly sensitive cancer detection.