Advancements and Perspectives in Optical Biosensors

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Optical biosensors provide high sensitivity, reusability, and rapid detection capabilities for biosensing.
• Advancements in optical biosensor platforms are crucial for developing next-generation diagnostic tools.
• Plasmonic and metasurface-based biosensors show significant promise for bioassays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a concise overview of optical biosensors, including platforms, mechanisms, and physics.
• To summarize recent advancements in optical biosensing technologies.
• To discuss the potential of optical biosensors for lab-on-chip and point-of-care devices.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on optical biosensor platforms.
• Focus on plasmonic biosensors (SPR, LSPR, SERS) and metasurface-based biosensors.
• Analysis of operational mechanisms, underlying physics, and performance in bioassays.

Main Results:

• Optical biosensors offer superior sensitivity, reusability, and speed compared to traditional methods.
• Plasmonic biosensors (SPR, LSPR, SERS) demonstrate versatility for diverse bioassays.
• Metasurface-based biosensors are emerging as powerful tools for advanced biosensing.

Conclusions:

• Optical biosensors, particularly plasmonic and metasurface types, are excellent candidates for lab-on-chip and point-of-care devices.
• Continued advancements position optical biosensors as a robust platform for early disease diagnostics.
• Addressing current challenges will further accelerate the adoption of optical biosensing technologies.