Hydrophobic terahertz metamaterial absorber sensor for renal cancer detection application

In this paper, a hydrophobic terahertz (THz) metamaterial absorber sensor aiming to detect renal cancer cells is proposed. The absorption properties, physical mechanism, structural parameters, sensing properties, and wettability of the sensor are theoretically investigated using the full-vector finite element method. The results indicate that the sensitivity (S), quality factor (Q) and figure of merit (FOM) for A-mode and B-mode are 180.46 GHz/RIU, 1128.23, 226.59 and 211.33 GHz/RIU, 1103.54, 246.59, respectively. The Q-factor and FOM are higher than those of the current sensors. The device can accurately differentiate between cancerous and normal cells in renal tissue. Additionally, the sensor possesses self-cleaning and self-protection capabilities due to the hydrophobic layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This provides a solid foundation for the repeated use and cost reduction of the sensor. Given these advantages, the proposed sensor has potential application value in the field of bio-detection and sensing. •We proposed a hydrophobic terahertz metamaterial absorber sensor, which can be used to detect renal cancer.•Theoretical study on the structure and properties of metamaterial sensor using full vector finite element method.•Compared to the reported terahertz metamaterial sensors, this sensor has high Q and high FOM.•Due to the presence of PTFE layer, the sensor has self-cleaning function and self-protection ability.