Fiber Optic Sensors: A Review for Glucose Measurement

A Novel Biosensor for the Detection of Glucose Concentration Using the Dual-Peak Long Period Grating in the Near- to Mid-Infrared

In this article, we demonstrate an improved efficient fibre sensor with a high sensitivity to measure glucose concentrations in the physiological range of human beings, operating in a broad spectral bandwidth from the near- to mid-infrared. The sensor consists of a dual-peak long period grating (DPLPG) with a period of 150 μm inscribed in an optical fibre with a diameter of 80 μm. The investigation of sensing for refractive index results in a sensitivity of ~-885.7 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) and ~2008.6 nm/RIU in the range of 1.30-1.44. The glucose measurement is achieved by the immobilisation of a layer of enzyme of glucose oxidase (GOD) onto the fibre surface for the selective enhancement of sensitivity for glucose. The sensor can measure glucose concentrations with a maximum sensitivity of -36.25 nm/(mg/mL) in the range of 0.1-3.0 mg/mL. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest sensitivity ever achieved for a measurement of glucose with a long period grating-based sensor, indicating its potential for many applications including pharmaceutical, biomedical and food industries.

Non-contact, highly sensitive sugar concentration detection based on Co3Sn2S2 Weyl semimetal thin film sensor by terahertz wave

Blood sugar is an important biomedical parameter of diabetic patients. The current blood sugar testing is based on an invasive method, which is not very friendly for patients who require long-term monitoring, while the non-invasive method is still in the developing stage. In this paper, we design a non-invasive and highly sensitive terahertz wave detector with Co3Sn2S2 semimetal thin film to test sugar concentration. As different concentrations have inconsistent responses to terahertz wave, we can deduce the concentration of the sugar solution to realize real-time highly sensitive detection of blood sugar concentration. This novel method can be further expanded to 6 G edge intelligence for non-invasive and real-time monitoring of blood sugar, and promote the development of 6 G technology.

Advances and Challenges in Nanomaterial-Based Electrochemical Immunosensors for Small Cell Lung Cancer Biomarker Neuron-Specific Enolase

Early and rapid detection of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is highly significant, as it is putative biomarker for small-cell lung cancer as well as COVID-19. Electrochemical techniques have attracted substantial attention for the early detection of cancer biomarkers due to the important properties of simplicity, high sensitivity, specificity, low cost, and point-of-care detection. This work reviews the clinically relevant labeled and label-free electrochemical immunosensors developed so far for the analysis of NSE. The prevailing role of nanostructured materials as electrode matrices is thoroughly discussed. Subsequently, the key performances of various immunoassays are critically evaluated in terms of limit of detection, linear ranges, and incubation time for clinical translation. Electrochemical techniques coupled with screen-printed electrodes developing market level commercialization of NSE sensors is also discussed. Finally, the review concludes with the current challenges associated with available methods and provides a future outlook toward commercialization opportunities for easy detection of NSE.

Non-invasive, ultrasensitive detection of glucose in saliva using metal oxide transistors

Transistor-based biosensors represent an emerging technology for inexpensive point-of-care testing (POCT) applications. However, the limited sensitivity of the current transistor technologies hinders their practical deployment. In this study, we developed tri-channel In2O3/ZnO heterojunction thin-film transistors (TFTs) featuring the surface-immobilized enzyme glucose oxidase to detect glucose in various biofluids. This unusual channel design facilitates strong coupling between the electrons transported along the buried In2O3/ZnO heterointerface and the electrostatic perturbations caused by the interactions between glucose and surface-immobilized glucose oxidase. The enzyme selectively binds to glucose, causing a change in charge density on the channel surface. By exploring this effect, the solid-state biosensing TFT (BioTFT) can selectively detect glucose in artificial and real saliva over a wide range of concentrations from 500 nM to 20 mM with limits of detection of ∼365 pM (artificial saliva) and ∼416 nM (real saliva) in less than 60 s. The specificity of the sensor towards glucose has been demonstrated against various interfering species in artificial saliva, further highlighting its unique capabilities. Moreover, the BioTFTs exhibited good operating stability upon storage for up to two weeks, with relative standard deviation (RSD) values ranging from 2.36% to 6.39% for 500 nM glucose concentration. Our BioTFTs are easy to manufacture with reliable operation, making them ideal for non-invasive POCT applications.

Sugar Detection in Aqueous Solution Using an SMS Fiber Device

We report on the fabrication and testing of a fiber optics sensor based on multimodal interference effects, which aims at the detection of different types of sweeteners dissolved in water. The device, which has a simple structure, commonly known as the SMS configuration, is built by splicing a segment of commercial-grade, coreless multimode fiber (NC-MMF) between two standard single-mode fibers (SMFs). In this configuration, the evanescent field traveling outside the core of the NC-MMF allows the sensing of the refractive index of the surrounding media, making it possible to detect different levels of sugar concentration. The optical sensor was tested with aqueous solutions of glucose, fructose, and sucrose in the concentration range from 0 wt% to 20 wt% at room temperature. The proposed device exhibits a linear response with a sensitivity of 0.1835 nm/wt% for sucrose, 0.1687 nm/wt% for fructose, and 0.1694 nm/wt% for glucose, respectively, with a sensing resolution of around 0.5 wt%. Finally, we show that, despite having similar concentration behavior, some degree of discrimination between the different sugars can be achieved by assessing their thermo-optical response.

Advances in Tapered Optical Fiber Sensor Structures: From Conventional to Novel and Emerging

Optical fiber sensors based on tapered optical fiber (TOF) structure have attracted a considerable amount of attention from researchers due to the advantages of simple fabrication, high stability, and diverse structures, and have great potential for applications in many fields such as physics, chemistry, and biology. Compared with conventional optical fibers, TOF with their unique structural characteristics significantly improves the sensitivity and response speed of fiber-optic sensors and broadens the application range. This review presents an overview of the latest research status and characteristics of fiber-optic sensors and TOF sensors. Then, the working principle of TOF sensors, fabrication schemes of TOF structures, novel TOF structures in recent years, and the growing emerging application areas are described. Finally, the development trends and challenges of TOF sensors are prospected. The objective of this review is to convey novel perspectives and strategies for the performance optimization and design of TOF sensors based on fiber-optic sensing technologies.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering active substrate based on hydrogel microspheres for pretreatment-free detection of glucose in biological samples

Determining glucose in biological samples is tedious and time-consuming due to sample pretreatment. The sample is usually pretreated to remove lipids, proteins, hemocytes and other sugars that interfere with glucose detection. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrate based on hydrogel microspheres has been developed to detect glucose in biological samples. Due to the specific catalytic action of glucose oxidase (GOX), the high selectivity of detection is guaranteed. The hydrogel substrate prepared by microfluidic droplets technology protects the silver nanoparticles from the surrounding environment and improves the stability and reproducibility of the assay. In addition, the hydrogel microspheres have size-adjustable pores that selectively allow small molecules to pass through. The pores block the entry of large molecules, such as impurities, enabling glucose detection through glucose oxidase etching without sample pretreatment. This hydrogel microsphere-SERS platform is highly sensitive and enables reproducible detection of different glucose concentrations in biological samples. The use of SERS to detect glucose provides clinicians with new diagnostic methods for diabetes and a new application opportunity for SERS-based molecular detection techniques.

Ultrasensitive tapered optical fiber refractive index glucose sensor

Refractive index (RI) sensors are of great interest for label-free optical biosensing. A tapered optical fiber (TOF) RI sensor with micron-sized waist diameters can dramatically enhance sensor sensitivity by reducing the mode volume over a long distance. Here, a simple and fast method is used to fabricate highly sensitive refractive index sensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Two TOFs (l = 5 mm) with waist diameters of 5 µm and 12 µm demonstrated sensitivity enhancement at λ = 1559 nm for glucose sensing (5-45 wt%) at room temperature. The optical power transmission decreased with increasing glucose concentration due to the interaction of the propagating light in the evanescent field with glucose molecules. The coating of the TOF with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as an active layer for glucose sensing generated LSPR through the interaction of the evanescent wave with AuNPs deposited at the tapered waist. The results indicated that the TOF (Ø = 5 µm) exhibited improved sensing performance with a sensitivity of 1265%/RIU compared to the TOF (Ø = 12 µm) at 560%/RIU towards glucose. The AuNPs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolent-visible spectroscopy. The AuNPs-decorated TOF (Ø = 12 µm) demonstrated a high sensitivity of 2032%/RIU toward glucose. The AuNPs-decorated TOF sensor showed a sensitivity enhancement of nearly 4 times over TOF (Ø = 12 µm) with RI ranging from 1.328 to 1.393. The fabricated TOF enabled ultrasensitive glucose detection with good stability and fast response that may lead to next-generation ultrasensitive biosensors for real-world applications, such as disease diagnosis.

A Nanotechnology-Based Approach to Biosensor Application in Current Diabetes Management Practices

Diabetes mellitus is linked to both short-term and long-term health problems. Therefore, its detection at a very basic stage is of utmost importance. Research institutes and medical organizations are increasingly using cost-effective biosensors to monitor human biological processes and provide precise health diagnoses. Biosensors aid in accurate diabetes diagnosis and monitoring for efficient treatment and management. Recent attention to nanotechnology in the fast-evolving area of biosensing has facilitated the advancement of new sensors and sensing processes and improved the performance and sensitivity of current biosensors. Nanotechnology biosensors detect disease and track therapy response. Clinically efficient biosensors are user-friendly, efficient, cheap, and scalable in nanomaterial-based production processes and thus can transform diabetes outcomes. This article is more focused on biosensors and their substantial medical applications. The highlights of the article consist of the different types of biosensing units, the role of biosensors in diabetes, the evolution of glucose sensors, and printed biosensors and biosensing systems. Later on, we were engrossed in the glucose sensors based on biofluids, employing minimally invasive, invasive, and noninvasive technologies to find out the impact of nanotechnology on the biosensors to produce a novel device as a nano-biosensor. In this approach, this article documents major advances in nanotechnology-based biosensors for medical applications, as well as the hurdles they must overcome in clinical practice.

A Review on Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Biosensors of Glucose Using Carbon Nanofiber Nanocomposites

Diabetes mellitus has become a worldwide epidemic, and it is expected to become the seventh leading cause of death by 2030. In response to the increasing number of diabetes patients worldwide, glucose biosensors with high sensitivity and selectivity have been developed for rapid detection. The selectivity, high sensitivity, simplicity, and quick response of electrochemical biosensors have made them a popular choice in recent years. This review summarizes the recent developments in electrodes for non-enzymatic glucose detection using carbon nanofiber (CNF)-based nanocomposites. The electrochemical performance and limitations of enzymatic and non-enzymatic glucose biosensors are reviewed. Then, the recent developments in non-enzymatic glucose biosensors using CNF composites are discussed. The final section of the review provides a summary of the challenges and perspectives, for progress in non-enzymatic glucose biosensors.

Comprehensive field pattern analysis for tailoring of reflectance in a hybrid subwavelength plasmonic grating refractive index sensor and its potential for noninvasive salivary glucose monitoring

A compact hybrid two-dimensional plasmonic subwavelength grating composed of gold and semiconductor ZnS is proposed. By implementing the finite-difference time-domain numerical technique, detailed field pattern analysis and reflectance characteristics of the grating structure are comprehensively investigated, tailored, and improved. An unfamiliar phenomenon of exponential decrease in resonance wavelength with an increase in groove width is observed, validated, and empirically modeled. This confirms that the reflectance resonance dip is because of the surface plasmon resonance in the grating structure, unlike the resonance dip obtained in the diffraction grating because of the Fabry-Perot resonance. A rigorous sensitivity analysis is performed for both generalized bulk and surface analyte detection. The surface sensitivity is observed to be 100.5 nm/RIU at dip 1 for 10-nm-surface analyte thickness. The bulk sensitivity for dip 1 and dip 2 was 104.3 nm/RIU and 800 nm/RIU, respectively. The refractive index range variation of dip 1 for the surface analyte is correlated with the refractive index of the blood by using the linear refractive index model and Gladstone-Dale law for blood. A linear regression analysis correlating blood glucose and salivary glucose with a surface analyte is used. The proposed sensor is observed to be promising for noninvasive salivary glucose monitoring with high surface sensitivity of 1.104 nm/mg/dl with a compact footprint of about 0.5µm×0.2µm in x-z dimensions.

One-Pot Preparation of Imidazole-Ring-Modified Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanozymes for Colorimetric Glucose Detection

Nanozymes are highly desired to overcome the shortcomings of natural enzymes, such as low stability, high cost and difficult storage during biosensing applications. Herein, by imitating the structure of natural enzymes, we propose a one-pot annealing process to synthesis imidazole-ring-modified graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄-Im) with enhanced peroxidase-like activity. g-C₃N₄-Im shows enhanced peroxidase-like activity by 46.5 times compared to unmodified g-C₃N₄. Furthermore, imidazole rings of g-C₃N₄-Im make it possible to anchor Cu(II) active sites on it to produce g-C₃N₄-Im-Cu, which shows a further increase in peroxidase-like activity by three times. It should be noted that the as-prepared g-C₃N₄-Im-Cu could show obvious peroxidase-like activity over a broad range of pH values and at a low temperature (5 °C). The ultrahigh peroxidase-like activity is attributed to the electronic effect of imidazole rings and the active sites of Cu(II) for ·OH production. Based on the enhanced peroxidase-like activity, a H₂O₂ and glucose biosensor was developed with a high sensitivity (limit of detection, 10 nM) and selectivity. Therefore, the biosensor shows potential for applications in diabetic diagnoses in clinical practice.

Non-invasive blood glucose sensing by machine learning of optic fiber-based speckle pattern variation

SIGNIFICANCE

The ability to perform frequent non-invasive monitoring of glucose in the bloodstream is very applicable for diabetic patients.

AIM

We experimentally verified a non-invasive multimode fiber-based technique for sensing glucose concentration in the bloodstream by extracting and analyzing the collected speckle patterns.

APPROACH

The proposed sensor consists of a laser source, digital camera, computer, multimode fiber, and alternating current (AC) generated magnetic field source. The experiments were performed using a covered (with cladding and jacket) and uncovered (without cladding and jacket) multimode fiber touching the skin under a magnetic field and without it. The subject's finger was placed on a fiber to detect the glucose concentration. The method tracks variations in the speckle patterns due to light interaction with the bloodstream affected by blood glucose.

RESULTS

The uncovered fiber placed above the finger under the AC magnetic field (150 G) at 140 Hz was found to have a lock-in amplification role, improving the glucose detection precision. The application of the machine learning algorithms in preprocessed speckle pattern data increase glucose measurement accuracy. Classification of the speckle patterns for uncovered fiber under the AC magnetic field allowed for detection of the blood glucose with high accuracy for all tested subjects compared with other tested configurations.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed technique was theoretically analyzed and experimentally validated in this work. The results were verified by the traditional finger-prick method, which was also used for classification as a conventional reference marker of blood glucose levels. The main goal of the proposed technique was to develop a non-invasive, low-cost blood glucose sensor for easy use by humans.

Fabry-Perot Interferometer Based on a Fiber-Tip Fixed-Supported Bridge for Fast Glucose Concentration Measurement

Blood glucose concentration is important for metabolic homeostasis in humans and animals. Many diabetic patients need to detect blood glucose daily which burdens community hospitals and family healthcare. Optical fiber sensors are widely used in biomedical detection because of their compact structure, fast response, high sensitivity, low cost, and ease of operation. In this work, we constructed a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity biosensor for the fast detection of glucose concentration in serum. The femtosecond laser micromachining was applied to fabricate the FP cavity by printing the fiber-tip fixed-supported bridge at the end face of the optical fiber. An additional hemisphere was printed at the center of the outer surface of the bridge to avoid multi-beam interference. The results demonstrated that the proposed biosensor had high refractive index (RI) detection sensitivity, roughly 1039 nm/RIU at a wavelength of 1590 nm, and the detection sensitivity for glucose was around 0.185 nm/ (mg/mL) at a wavelength of 1590 nm. Due to its high sensitivity, compact structure, and fast response, the FP cavity biosensor has great potential to be applied in family healthcare for glucose concentration detection of diabetic patients.

Hybrid sensor based on a hollow square core fiber for temperature independent refractive index detection

In this work, a hybrid sensor based on a section of hollow square core fiber (HSCF) spliced between two single mode fibers is proposed for the measurement of refractive index of liquids. The sensor, with a length of a few millimeters, operates in a transmission configuration. Due to the HSCF inner geometry, two different interferometers are generated. The first, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, is insensitive to the external refractive index, and presents a sensitivity to temperature of (29.2 ± 1.1) pm/°C. The second one, a cladding modal interferometer, is highly sensitive to the external refractive index. An experimental resolution of 1.0 × 10^-4 was achieved for this component. Due to the different responses of each interferometer to the parameters under study, a compensation method was developed to attain refractive index measurements that are temperature independent. The proposed sensor can find applications in areas where refractive index measurements are required and the control of room temperature is a challenge, such as in the food and beverage industry, as well as in biochemical or biomedical industries.

A new biomimetic nanozyme of hemin/graphdiyne oxide with superior peroxidase-like activity for colorimetric bioassays

Graphdiyne oxide (GDYO) is a novel type of two-dimensional carbon allotrope nanomaterial consisting of a large conjugated system and excellent chemical stability. To date, application of GDYO as a nanozyme in biosensing has been rarely reported. In this study, a novel ultrasensitive colorimetric bioassay was constructed using a hemin/GDYO nanocomposite (H/GDYO) as a new nanozyme with superior peroxidase-like activity for the detection of H₂O₂ and glucose. It was discovered that H/GDYO exhibited 6-fold higher peroxidase-like activity than pure hemin. Catalytic kinetic analysis showed that H/GDYO had a much higher affinity for H₂O₂ and glucose than that of hemin. The designed colorimetric bioassay displayed excellent sensitivity for H₂O₂ and glucose detection with a wide linear range of 0.015-0.5 mM and 0.1-10 mM, respectively, while the limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 4.39 μM and 38 μM, respectively. Moreover, it was successfully applied for the analysis of H₂O₂ in milk and glucose in real human serum samples with acceptable recoveries. Importantly, the developed colorimetric bioassay shows good agreement with the results obtained from a commercial blood glucose meter. We believe that the proposed method could provide a promising prospect for medical diagnosis and biotechnology.

Millimeter-Wave-Based Spoof Localized Surface Plasmonic Resonator for Sensing Glucose Concentration

Glucose-monitoring sensors are necessary and have been extensively studied to prevent and control health problems caused by diabetes. Spoof localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance sensors have been investigated for chemical sensing and biosensing. A spoof LSP has similar characteristics to an LSP in the microwave or terahertz frequency range but with certain advantages, such as a high-quality factor and improved sensitivity. In general, microwave spoof LSP resonator-based glucose sensors have been studied. In this study, a millimeter-wave-based spoof surface plasmonic resonator sensor is designed to measure glucose concentrations. The millimeter-wave-based sensor has a smaller chip size and higher sensitivity than microwave-frequency sensors. Therefore, the microfluidic channel was designed to be reusable and able to operate with a small sample volume. For alignment, a polydimethylsiloxane channel was simultaneously fabricated using a multilayer bonding film to attach the upper side of the pattern, which is concentrated in the electromagnetic field. This real-time sensor detects the glucose concentration via changes in the S11 parameter and operates at 28 GHz with an average sensitivity of 0.015669 dB/(mg/dL) within the 0-300 mg/dL range. The minimum detectable concentration and the distinguishable signal are 1 mg/dL and 0.015669 dB, respectively, from a 3.4 μL sample. The reusability and reproducibility were assessed through replicates.

Recent Advances in Biomedical Photonic Sensors: A Focus on Optical-Fibre-Based Sensing

In this invited review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in biomedical photonic sensors within the last five years. This review is focused on works using optical-fibre technology, employing diverse optical fibres, sensing techniques, and configurations applied in several medical fields. We identified technical innovations and advancements with increased implementations of optical-fibre sensors, multiparameter sensors, and control systems in real applications. Examples of outstanding optical-fibre sensor performances for physical and biochemical parameters are covered, including diverse sensing strategies and fibre-optical probes for integration into medical instruments such as catheters, needles, or endoscopes.

Study on a Plasmonic Tilted Fiber Grating-Based Biosensor for Calmodulin Detection

Tilted fiber Bragg grating, which has the advantages of both fiber Bragg grating and long-period fiber grating, has been widely studied for sensing in many fields, especially in the field of biochemistry. Calmodulin, which has a wide distribution in eukaryotes, can regulate several enzymes such as adenylate cyclase and guanylate cyclase and mediates several cellular processes such as cell proliferation and cyclic nucleotide metabolism. The abnormal levels of calmodulin in the body will result in serious effects from metabolism to nerve growth and memory. Therefore, it is important to measure the calmodulin concentration in the body. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a plasmonic tilted fiber Bragg grating-based biosensor for calmodulin detection. The biosensor was made using an 18° tilted fiber Bragg grating with a 50 nm-thick gold nanofilm coating the surface of the fiber, and transient receptor potential channels were bonded onto the surface of the gold nanofilm to serve as bio-detectors for calmodulin detection. Experimental results showed that the limit of detection using our biosensor was 0.44 nM. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that the interaction between calmodulin and transient receptor potential channels was quite weak without calcium in the solution, which agrees with the biology. Our proposed biosensor has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and is of small size, making it a good choice for real-time, label-free, and microliter-volume biomolecule detection.