Chapter 7
Optical Probes and Biosensors
Abstract Optical probes and photonics-based biosensors are important tools in most
biophotonics diagnostic, therapeutic, imaging, and health-status monitoring instru-
mentation setups. These devices can selectively detect or analyze specific biological
elements, such as microorganisms, organelles, tissue samples, cells, enzymes, anti-
bodies, and nucleic acids derived from human and animal tissue and bodyfluids, cell
cultures, foods, or air, water, soil, and vegetation samples. Of particular interest for
biosensing processes are opticalfiber probes, nanoparticle-based sensors, optical
fiber and waveguide substance sensors, photodetector arrays,fiber Bragg grating
sensors, and surface plasmon resonance devices.
A biosensor is an essential component of most biophotonics diagnostic, therapeutic,
imaging, and health-status monitoring instrumentation setups. Biosensors can be
configured as electrical, optical, chemical, or mechanical devices with the capability
to selectively detect specific biological elements. As indicated in Fig.7.1, such
elements can include microorganisms, organelles, tissue samples, cells, enzymes,
antibodies, and nucleic acids derived from animal tissue and bodyfluids, human
tissue and bodyfluids, cell cultures, foods, or air, water, soil, and vegetation samples.
Starting in the 1970s, the telecom industry initiated a major photonics tech-
nology evolution based on optical fibers and planar waveguides, laser diode
sources, and high-performance photodetectors. The outcomes of these telecom
activities resulted in a large collection of diverse opticalfiber structures, lightwave
couplers, photonic devices, wavelength-selective components, and the associated
light sources and photodetectors that now are being applied to biomedicine.
Numerous embodiments of opticalfibers and optical waveguide structures using
different materials and configurations are being utilized to form optical probes,
molecular and disease analysis tools, health monitoring devices, and biosensors [ 1 –
8 ]. Of particular interest for biosensing processes are photonics-based devices and
instruments such as opticalfiber probes, nanoparticle-based sensors, opticalfiber
and waveguide substance sensors, photodetector arrays,fiber Bragg grating sensors,
and surface plasmon resonance devices.
©Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2016
G. Keiser,Biophotonics, Graduate Texts in Physics,
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-0945-7_7
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