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Published on: March 13, 2013
Optical biosensors based on refractometric sensing schemes: A review
Yangyang Chen1, Jinchuan Liu2, Zhenchuan Yang3
1State Key Joint Laboratory of ESPC, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Institute of Microelectronics, School of Information Science and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 10084, China.
This review highlights advances in label-free refractometric optical biosensors, focusing on guided-wave designs and their applications in diagnostics and environmental monitoring over the last two decades.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Optical Engineering
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- Biosensor technology has seen rapid progress, particularly in optical biosensors utilizing refractometric sensing.
- Guided-wave optical biosensors based on refractometric schemes have experienced dramatic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advances in refractometric sensing-based guided-wave optical biosensors from the last two decades.
- To discuss underlying principles, design improvements, surface functionalization, and applications.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent literature on refractometric sensing-based guided-wave optical biosensors.
- Analysis of transducer configurations and device integration strategies.
- Evaluation of surface functionalization techniques for reproducible sensing.
Main Results:
- Significant progress in label-free refractometric biosensor principles and design.
- Development of versatile applications in environmental monitoring, food safety, and clinical diagnostics.
- Exploration of challenges and efforts to enhance biosensor performance.
Conclusions:
- Refractometric optical biosensors are a rapidly advancing field with broad applicability.
- Integration with emerging technologies presents a promising future outlook for biosensors.
