Project TeraHealth

Abstract

TeraHealth advances sub-THz (100 GHz – 1 THz) technologies to revolutionize eHealth applications through low-cost diagnostics and seamless integration of non-invasive sensing and wireless communications in smart body area networks (BANs). Sub-THz frequency bands offer unique sensitivity to water content, structural properties, and dielectric behavior of biological tissues, enabling non-ionizing, high-precision diagnostics for early tumour detection, skin cancer screening, burn depth assessment, hydration mapping, and vital signs monitoring, such as heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure. By exploiting these unique properties, TeraHealth addresses critical gaps in European eHealth ecosystem by: (i) realizing advanced functional prototypes, including a low-cost, compact diagnostic tool based on sub-THz imaging scanners, and an accurate vital sign monitoring system based on distributed multi-band sub-THz wearable sensors; (ii) developing accurate propagation models and deriving EMF exposure limits for in-vivo sub-THz eHealth applications obtained via extensive tissue measurements and anatomically validated simulations; (iii) designing PHY layer waveforms, energy-efficient MAC protocols, and BAN architectures for robust, low-power, interference-free integrated biomedical sensing and on-body communications. By validating the proposed solutions against clinical benchmarks, TeraHealth will bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical application, advancing from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2/3 to TRL 5/6. To accelerate market readiness, TeraHealth will contribute to the development of sub-THz eHealth standards and regulatory frameworks through strategic participation in relevant bodies and organizations, such as ETSI, IEEE, and 3GPP. Ultimately, TeraHealth will strengthen European eHealth sovereignty, fostering portable and affordable diagnostics for aging populations and personalized medicine.