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Development of Thermal Sensing Technologies in Biological Applications
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Development of Thermal Sensing Technologies in Biological Applications

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 8535

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shengyong Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: brain memory and data-processing mechanism; brain–computer interface; artificial vision systems; thermal sensor at micro-/nanoscales
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jingjing Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Microelectronics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
Interests: biochips; biosensors; bio-electromagnetics; brain–computer interface

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Temperature is not only an important environmental factor affecting cell activities, but also an important parameter reflecting physiological and pathological conditions of the whole biosystems. The thermal sensing and controlling mechanisms in live systems are still hot topics. For instance, The Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 was granted to Dr. David Julius and Dr. Ardem Patapoutian “for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch”, however, the detailed working mechanisms of these transient receptors, protein ion channels, remained unknown to date.

We have seen a growing interest in the thermal sensing techniques for their novel potential in biological applications. Data obtained from thermal sensors (TS’s) offer new research perspectives for the physiological and pathological statuses of cells, tissues and organs, e.g. cell metabolism, cell tumorigenesis, inflammation, activation & differentiation of immune cells, hypothermia, hibernation, etc. A variety of TS’s with various principles for biological applications have been coming up in recent years, and their performances such as accuracy, resolution, stability and biological safety in temperature measurement are paid more attention.

This Special Issue therefore aims to put together original research and review articles on the recent advances, technologies, solutions, applications, and new challenges in the field of thermal sensing technologies and novel TS’s. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • Materials, mechanisms, and equalizations for novel TS’s
  • Optical TS’s, contact TS’s, and hybrid TS techniques
  • TS techniques in wearable devices
  • TS’s at the micro- and nano-scales
  • Thermal measurement techniques at the single cell level
  • TS’s for healthcare, tumor treatment and other clinical applications
  • TS’s for implantation in biosystems
  • TS’s for hibernation and aerospace science and technology
  • Remote thermal sensing technologies and WiFi TS’s
  • Working mechanisms of transient receptor ion channels in biosystems

Prof. Dr. Shengyong Xu
Dr. Jingjing Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 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.

Keywords

  • thermal sensor
  • biological application
  • clinical application
  • wearable devices
  • implantation
  • healthcare
  • tumor treatment
  • micro-nano-scale
  • transient receptor
  • ion channel

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 3293 KiB  
Communication
Threshold-Switching Memristors for Neuromorphic Thermoreception
by Haotian Li, Chunsheng Jiang and Qilin Hua
Sensors 2025, 25(5), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25051533 - 1 Mar 2025
Viewed by 703
Abstract
Neuromorphic devices emulating the temperature-sensing capabilities of biological thermoreceptors hold significant promise for neuron-like artificial sensory systems. In this work, Bi2Se3-based threshold-switching memristors were presented in constructing temperature-sensing neuron circuits, leveraging its exceptional attributes, such as high switching ratio [...] Read more.
Neuromorphic devices emulating the temperature-sensing capabilities of biological thermoreceptors hold significant promise for neuron-like artificial sensory systems. In this work, Bi2Se3-based threshold-switching memristors were presented in constructing temperature-sensing neuron circuits, leveraging its exceptional attributes, such as high switching ratio (>106), low threshold voltage, and thermoelectric response. The spiking oscillation response of the devices to resistance and temperature variations was analyzed using Hspice simulation of the memristor model based on its resistance in on/off states, threshold voltage (Vth), and hold voltage (Vhold). These results show the great potential of the Bi2Se3-based memristor in enabling biorealistic thermoreception applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Thermal Sensing Technologies in Biological Applications)
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21 pages, 18890 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Studies of the Temperature Field in a Dielectrophoretic Cell Separation Device Subject to Joule Heating
by Yoshinori Seki and Shigeru Tada
Sensors 2024, 24(21), 7098; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24217098 - 4 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1085
Abstract
Technologies for rapid and high-throughput separation of rare cells from large populations of other types of cells have recently attracted much attention in the field of bioengineering. Among the various cell separation technologies proposed in the past, dielectrophoresis has shown particular promise because [...] Read more.
Technologies for rapid and high-throughput separation of rare cells from large populations of other types of cells have recently attracted much attention in the field of bioengineering. Among the various cell separation technologies proposed in the past, dielectrophoresis has shown particular promise because of its preciseness of manipulation and noninvasiveness to cells. However, one drawback of dielectrophoresis devices is that their application of high voltage generates Joule heat that exposes the cells within the device to high temperatures. To further explore this problem, this study investigated the temperature field in a previously developed cell separation device in detail. The temperature rise at the bottom of the microfluidic channel in the device was measured using a micro-LIF method. Moreover, the thermofluidic behavior of the cell separation device was numerically investigated by adopting a heat generation model that takes the electric-field-dependent heat generation term into account in the energy equation. Under the operating conditions of the previously developed cell separation device, the experimentally obtained temperature rise in the device was approximately 20 °C, and the numerical simulation results generally agreed well. Next, parametric calculations were performed with changes in the flow rate of the cell sample solution and the solution conductivity, and a temperature increase of more than 40 °C was predicted. The results demonstrated that an increase in temperature within the cell separation device may have a significant impact on the physiological functions of the cells, depending on the operating conditions of the device. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Thermal Sensing Technologies in Biological Applications)
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10 pages, 3747 KiB  
Communication
Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care
by Faraz Sadrzadeh-Afsharazar, Rose Raizman and Gennadi Saiko
Sensors 2023, 23(23), 9376; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23239376 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1391
Abstract
Calluses are thickened skin areas that develop due to repeated friction, pressure, or other types of irritation. While calluses are usually harmless and formed as a protective surface, they can lead to skin ulceration or infection if left untreated. As calluses are often [...] Read more.
Calluses are thickened skin areas that develop due to repeated friction, pressure, or other types of irritation. While calluses are usually harmless and formed as a protective surface, they can lead to skin ulceration or infection if left untreated. As calluses are often not clearly visible to the patients, and some areas of dead skin can be missed during debridement, accessory tools can be useful in assessment and follow-up. The practical question addressed in this article is whether or not thermal imaging adds value to callus assessment. We have performed a theoretical analysis of the feasibility of thermographic imaging for callus identification. Our analytical calculations show that the temperature drop in the epidermis should be on the order of 0.1 °C for the normal epidermis in hairy skin, 0.9 °C for glabrous skin, and 1.5–2 °C or higher in calluses. We have validated our predictions on gelatin phantoms and demonstrated the feasibility of thermographic imaging for callus identification in two clinical case series. Our experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions and support the notion that local skin temperature variations can indicate epidermis thickness variations, which can be used for callus identification. In particular, a surface temperature drop on the order of 0.5 °C or more can be indicative of callus presence, particularly in callus-prone areas. In addition, our analytical calculations and phantom experiments show the importance of ambient temperature measurements during thermographic assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Thermal Sensing Technologies in Biological Applications)
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18 pages, 15173 KiB  
Article
A Sol-Gel/Solvothermal Synthetic Approach to Titania Nanoparticles for Raman Thermometry
by Thomas Pretto, Marina Franca, Veronica Zani, Silvia Gross, Danilo Pedron, Roberto Pilot and Raffaella Signorini
Sensors 2023, 23(5), 2596; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23052596 - 26 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2857
Abstract
The accurate determination of the local temperature is one of the most important challenges in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. For this purpose, different techniques and materials have been extensively studied in order to identify both the best-performing materials and the techniques [...] Read more.
The accurate determination of the local temperature is one of the most important challenges in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. For this purpose, different techniques and materials have been extensively studied in order to identify both the best-performing materials and the techniques with greatest sensitivity. In this study, the Raman technique was exploited for the determination of the local temperature as a non-contact technique and titania nanoparticles (NPs) were tested as nanothermometer Raman active material. Biocompatible titania NPs were synthesized following a combination of sol-gel and solvothermal green synthesis approaches, with the aim of obtaining pure anatase samples. In particular, the optimization of three different synthesis protocols allowed materials to be obtained with well-defined crystallite dimensions and good control over the final morphology and dispersibility. TiO2 powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and room-temperature Raman measurements, to confirm that the synthesized samples were single-phase anatase titania, and using SEM measurements, which clearly showed the nanometric dimension of the NPs. Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman measurements were collected, with the excitation laser at 514.5 nm (CW Ar/Kr ion laser), in the temperature range of 293–323 K, a range of interest for biological applications. The power of the laser was carefully chosen in order to avoid possible heating due to the laser irradiation. The data support the possibility of evaluating the local temperature and show that TiO2 NPs possess high sensitivity and low uncertainty in the range of a few degrees as a Raman nanothermometer material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Thermal Sensing Technologies in Biological Applications)
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Review

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23 pages, 1734 KiB  
Review
Thermal Cameras for Continuous and Contactless Respiration Monitoring
by Raquel Alves, Fokke van Meulen, Sebastiaan Overeem, Svitlana Zinger and Sander Stuijk
Sensors 2024, 24(24), 8118; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24248118 - 19 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1603
Abstract
Continuous respiration monitoring is an important tool in assessing the patient’s health and diagnosing pulmonary, cardiovascular, and sleep-related breathing disorders. Various techniques and devices, both contact and contactless, can be used to monitor respiration. Each of these techniques can provide different types of [...] Read more.
Continuous respiration monitoring is an important tool in assessing the patient’s health and diagnosing pulmonary, cardiovascular, and sleep-related breathing disorders. Various techniques and devices, both contact and contactless, can be used to monitor respiration. Each of these techniques can provide different types of information with varying accuracy. Thermal cameras have become a focal point in research due to their contactless nature, affordability, and the type of data they provide, i.e., information on respiration motion and respiration flow. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this technology and developed robust algorithms to extract important information from thermal camera videos. This paper describes the current state-of-the-art in respiration monitoring using thermal cameras, dividing the system into acquiring data, defining and tracking the region of interest, and extracting the breathing signal and respiration rate. The approaches taken to address the various challenges, the limitations of these methods, and possible applications are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Thermal Sensing Technologies in Biological Applications)
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