Advanced Measurement Systems for the Multiphysics Characterization and Diagnostics of Biological Tissues

Dear Colleagues,

Multiphysics characterization of biological tissues is pivotal for a wide range of biomedical applications, spanning from the optimization of therapeutic procedures to the development of accurate predictive models of tissue response, the advancement of diagnostic strategies, and the design of biomimicking phantoms and materials for testing and validating medical devices. In this context, reliable measurement systems are essential to quantify tissue properties across different physical domains, e.g., optical, mechanical, thermal, and dielectric, often requiring multimodal approaches to capture coupled phenomena and heterogeneous microstructures.

Recent progress in sensors, instrumentation, and computational methods is enabling more quantitative and clinically meaningful tissue assessment, including label-free and non-invasive techniques, high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, and data-driven pipelines for tissue classification and decision support. However, translating these advances into robust tools for biomedical research and healthcare also demands strong metrological foundations, including calibration strategies, uncertainty quantification, standardization, and reproducibility across instruments, protocols, and sites.

This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality contributions (original research articles, reviews, and case studies) addressing advances, challenges, and emerging applications of advanced measurement techniques, sensors, and monitoring systems for the multiphysics characterization and diagnostics of biological tissues. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary work bridging instrumentation, sensing technologies, biomedical engineering, and clinical translation.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

-Measurement systems for tissue optical properties (absorption, scattering, anisotropy) and optical signatures of pathology;

-Spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging for tissue assessment (e.g., Raman, FTIR/MIR, NIR/SWIR, hyperspectral imaging, fluorescence, diffuse optics);

-Biomechanical characterization (e.g., indentation, rheology, elastography, viscoelastic modeling, dynamic testing) and correlations with disease progression;

-Thermal property measurements (thermal conductivity/diffusivity, perfusion-related effects);

-Dielectric property characterization (impedance spectroscopy, broadband dielectric spectroscopy, microwave techniques);

-Tissue measurements under controlled or varying conditions (e.g., temperature-dependent characterization);

- Multimodal approaches and techniques for characterization and imaging of tissues;

-Ex vivo/in vivo tissue measurements;

-Tissue-mimicking phantoms;

-Intraoperative, bedside, and point-of-care measurement systems for real-time tissue diagnostics and guidance;

-Calibration, traceability, uncertainty analysis, repeatability, and standardization in biomedical and tissue measurements.

Dr. Leonardo Bianchi
Dr. Marta Cavagnaro
Dr. Giulia Maffeis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• biological tissues
• multiphysics characterization
• tissue diagnostics
• tissue thermophysical properties
• tissue thermal/optical/mechanical/dielectric properties
• measurement systems calibration and uncertainty