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Optical Sensors for Biomedical Diagnostics and Monitoring

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1290

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics (FSCFE) & Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE), Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
Interests: fluorescence imaging; diagnostic imaging; flexible sensors; biomedical applications
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Optical sensing technologies are transforming the landscape of biomedical diagnostics and health-monitoring systems. With their unique advantages—high sensitivity, rapid response, non-invasive operation, and compatibility with compact and wearable platforms—optical sensors have become indispensable tools across clinical medicine, personalized healthcare, and physiological monitoring. Recent progress in photonic materials, micro/nano-optical structures, fiber-optic technologies, and optical signal-processing methods has further accelerated the development of innovative biomedical sensing modalities capable of detecting subtle biochemical, metabolic, and biomechanical changes within the human body.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a timely platform for showcasing the latest breakthroughs in optical sensor materials, device architectures, and biomedical applications. We welcome contributions that span fundamental technological innovations, system-level integration, and practical demonstrations in diagnostic or monitoring scenarios. Original research articles, communications, and comprehensive reviews are all encouraged. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Design and engineering of optical sensing materials and photonic structures for biomedical use;
  • Fiber-optic, waveguide-based, or micro/nano-optical sensors for physiological and biochemical monitoring;
  • Optical imaging and spectroscopy techniques for disease detection and health assessment;
  • Wearable, implantable, or minimally invasive optical sensing platforms;
  • Signal processing, machine learning, and intelligent algorithms for optical biosensing and diagnostics;
  • Multimodal sensing systems integrating optical signals with mechanical, electrical, or chemical readouts;
  • Demonstrations of optical sensor applications in clinical diagnostics, health monitoring, rehabilitation, and telemedicine.

We hope this Special Issue will inspire new ideas and foster interdisciplinary collaborations that further advance the use of optical sensors in biomedical science and healthcare.

Dr. Xiaozhen Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • biomedical diagnostics
  • diagnostic imaging
  • optical sensor
  • biomedical applications‬‬‬‬
  • flexible sensor

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3451 KB  
Article
A Compact SLED Light Source Driver Module for Optical Coherence Tomography Applications
by Yuanhao Cao, Feng Liu, Jianguo Mei, Qun Liu and Biao Chen
Sensors 2026, 26(7), 2084; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26072084 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 528
Abstract
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive, high-resolution imaging technique widely used in medical diagnosis, biomedical research and other fields. It plays an important role in the early detection and accurate diagnosis of diseases. The superluminescent light-emitting diode (SLED) is the ideal light [...] Read more.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive, high-resolution imaging technique widely used in medical diagnosis, biomedical research and other fields. It plays an important role in the early detection and accurate diagnosis of diseases. The superluminescent light-emitting diode (SLED) is the ideal light source for OCT systems, where the stability of its drive current and operating temperature directly determines the imaging quality of OCT. Existing driving and temperature control schemes for similar light sources predominantly rely on microcontrollers or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a reliance which often results in complex system architectures and difficulties in balancing simplicity with control precision. To address these issues, a stable and compact SLED source driver module designed for OCT was developed in this study, integrating both a constant-current drive circuit and a temperature control circuit. The negative feedback control and improved current-limiting protection are employed in the constant-current drive circuit to maintain stable SLED operation and reduce the circuit footprint. A miniature dedicated temperature control chip is adopted in the temperature control circuit. The operating temperature of the SLED is acquired by linearizing the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor value and regulated through a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) compensation circuit. The size of the fabricated module (including casing) is less than 10 × 8 × 3 cm3. Experimental results show that the driver module achieves a drive current control accuracy of 0.1% and a temperature control accuracy of 0.01 °C. The output optical power fluctuation is less than 0.005 mW and the average axial resolution for OCT is 6.5992 μm with a standard deviation of 0.0107 μm. This light source driver module successfully balances control precision with structural simplicity, demonstrating excellent applicability in OCT systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Sensors for Biomedical Diagnostics and Monitoring)
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18 pages, 2542 KB  
Article
A Rapid and Versatile Colorimetric Sensor for the Visual Detection of Zinc Ions in Urine and Drinking Water
by Thea Serra, Fabio Di Nardo, Simone Cavalera, Valentina Testa, Stefano Bertinetti, Claudio Baggiani, Daniele Amparore, Sabrina De Cillis, Sergio Occhipinti and Laura Anfossi
Sensors 2026, 26(6), 1926; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26061926 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 508
Abstract
The rapid detection of zinc in different aqueous matrices is very relevant. For example, a Zn2+ level above ca. 50 µM affects drinking water quality, while levels below ca. 25 µM in urine are related to higher probability of prostate cancer. Herein, [...] Read more.
The rapid detection of zinc in different aqueous matrices is very relevant. For example, a Zn2+ level above ca. 50 µM affects drinking water quality, while levels below ca. 25 µM in urine are related to higher probability of prostate cancer. Herein, a simple and rapid qualitative colorimetric sensor for the detection of zinc ions in aqueous samples is developed. The sensor exploits the reaction between 1,5-diphenylthiocarbazone and Zn2+ to form colored chelates whose color changes with increasing Zn2+ concentration. The chelating agent has been immobilized in a dried form on various cellulose- and synthetic-based materials to obtain a sensor that can be used for in situ analysis. The procedure to obtain the colorimetric device is easy and straightforward. Moreover, it requires neither specialized personnel to perform the analysis nor specialized personnel for the interpretation of the analytical results. The analysis requires only 20 µL of sample, and a reliable colorimetric output is obtained within 10 min and is stable up to 30 min. The sensor allows Zn2+ visual detection in drinking water and urine without any sample pre-treatment with excellent efficiency and repeatability. Considering the ability to distinguish between Zn2+ concentrations equal to 0.5 and 2× the cut-off level, the sensor showed sensitivity and specificity of 100% for fortified tap water analysis and 100% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity for urine samples. The almost-perfect concordance with the reference atomic absorption spectrometer and the 94.1% accuracy demonstrated the sensor’s excellent potential to be applied for selective qualitative Zn2+ detection in real-life situations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Sensors for Biomedical Diagnostics and Monitoring)
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