Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensors and Healthcare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 42802

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Interests: biosensing technology; optical sensors; lab-on-a-chip; microfluidics; optical diffusometry; bioMEMS
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is continually raging around the world, rapid and precise screening has become one effective measure to impede its fast spread. This urgent need for controlling the epidemic raises the necessity of developing more powerful biosensing technologies. As a result, this Special Issue aims to present the most advanced biosensing technologies which can be used for various biological entities. In that sense, a broad range of topics in this area, from integration methods to novel microfluidic-based sensors in medical applications, will be covered. Considering the pandemic has yet to show a sign of mitigation, I sincerely invite all experts who are working in the relevant fields to contribute your articles to this Special Issue on “Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications”. Your articles may inspire potential solutions to end the escalating pandemic. Most importantly, the dissemination of innovative knowledge through the academic platform can form a potent defense for humans and help to prepare well for the next devastating disease outbreak.

Prof. Dr. Han-Sheng Chuang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Biosensors
  • Microfluidic devices
  • Biochips
  • Diagnostics
  • Lab-on-chip
  • Bio-MEMS/Bio-NEMS
  • Point-of-care
  • Precision medicine
  • Sensitivity/specificity/accuracy
  • Rapid detection

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 187 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial: Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications
by Han-Sheng Chuang
Biosensors 2023, 13(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13010011 - 22 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1231
Abstract
The unprecedented pandemic over the past three years has accelerated the developments of many cutting-edge techniques to address the challenges raised in new medical frontiers [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

7 pages, 2601 KiB  
Article
A Co-Printed Nanoslit Surface Plasmon Resonance Structure in Microfluidic Device for LMP-1 Detection
by Shu-Cheng Lo, Shao-Sian Li, Wen-Fai Yang, Kuang-Chong Wu, Pei-Kuen Wei, Horn-Jiunn Sheen and Yu-Jui Fan
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080653 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2033
Abstract
This paper reports a novel micro/nanostructure co-hot embossing technique. Gold-capped nanostructures were used as localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors and were integrated into a microfluidic channel. The advantage of the co-hot embossing technique is that the SPR sensors do not need to [...] Read more.
This paper reports a novel micro/nanostructure co-hot embossing technique. Gold-capped nanostructures were used as localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors and were integrated into a microfluidic channel. The advantage of the co-hot embossing technique is that the SPR sensors do not need to be aligned with the microfluidic channel while bonding to it. The integrated SPR sensor and microfluidic channel were first characterized, and the sensitivity of the SPR sensor to the refractive index was found using different concentrations of glycerol solutions. The SPR sensor was also used to quantify latent membrane protein (LMP-1) when modifying anti-LMP-1 at the surface of the SPR sensor. Different concentrations of LMP-1 samples were used to build a calibration curve. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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17 pages, 4799 KiB  
Article
Development of a Self-Viscosity and Temperature-Compensated Technique for Highly Stable and Highly Sensitive Bead-Based Diffusometry
by Wei-Long Chen and Han-Sheng Chuang
Biosensors 2022, 12(6), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12060362 - 25 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2052
Abstract
Brownian motion, which is a natural phenomenon, has attracted numerous researchers and received extensive studies over the past decades. The effort contributes to the discovery of optical diffusometry, which is commonly used for micro/nano particle sizing. However, the analysis uncertainty caused by the [...] Read more.
Brownian motion, which is a natural phenomenon, has attracted numerous researchers and received extensive studies over the past decades. The effort contributes to the discovery of optical diffusometry, which is commonly used for micro/nano particle sizing. However, the analysis uncertainty caused by the coupling relationship among particle diameter, temperature, and fluid viscosity usually poses a barrier to precise measurement. Preventing random background noise becomes the key to achieving a high level of accuracy in diffusometry detection. Recently, Janus particles have become known as an ideal tool for resolving the rotational Brownian motion. Followed by our previous study, the rotational Brownian motion and the translational Brownian motion can be separately measured using the Janus particles. Accordingly, a simple self-viscosity and temperature-compensated technique based on the delicate removal of temperature and fluid viscosity variations through particle tracking was first proposed in this study. Consequently, the translational Brownian motion was expressed in terms of particle trajectory, whereas the rotational Brownian motion was expressed in terms of the blinking signal from the Janus particles. The algorithm was verified simulatively and experimentally in temperature (10 °C to 40 °C) and viscosity-controlled (1 mPa·s to 5 mPa·s) fields. In an evaluation of biosensing for a target protein, IFN-γ, the limit of detection of the proposed self-compensated diffusometry reached 0.45 pg/mL, whereas its uncertainties of viscosity and temperature were 96 and 15-fold lower than the pure the rotational Brownian motion counterpart, respectively. The results indicated the low-uncertainty and high-accuracy biosensing capability resulting from the self-viscosity and temperature-compensated technique. This research will provide a potential alternative to future similar bead-based immunosensing, which requires ultra-high stability and sensitivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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11 pages, 1862 KiB  
Article
2LTRZFP Interacts Specifically to HIV-1 DNA without Off-Target Effects as Determined by Biolayer Interferometry
by Koollawat Chupradit, Weeraya Thongkum, On-anong Juntit, Kanokporn Sornsuwan and Chatchai Tayapiwatana
Biosensors 2021, 11(3), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios11030076 - 8 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2643
Abstract
Protein and DNA interactions are crucial for many cellular processes. Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) is a label-free technology for determining kinetic biomolecular interactions with high accuracy results. In the present study, we determined the kinetic binding of a zinc finger scaffold, 2LTRZFP, which formerly [...] Read more.
Protein and DNA interactions are crucial for many cellular processes. Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) is a label-free technology for determining kinetic biomolecular interactions with high accuracy results. In the present study, we determined the kinetic binding of a zinc finger scaffold, 2LTRZFP, which formerly constructed the interfering effect on HIV-1 integration process using BLI. The competitive Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to initially show the specific binding of 2LTRZFP. The percentages of inhibition were 62% and 22% in double-stranded 2LTR (ds2LTR) and irrelevant DNA (dsNeg), respectively. Consequently, the binding affinity of 2LTRZFP against ds2LTR target analyzed by BLI was 40 nM, which is stronger than the interaction of HIV-1 integrase (IN) enzyme to the 2LTR circle junction. Additionally, the 2LTRZFP did not interact with the genomic DNA extracted from SupT1 cell line. This result indicates that 2LTRZFP did not exhibit off-target effects against human genome. The knowledge obtained from this study supports the prospect of using 2LTRZFP in HIV-1 gene therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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16 pages, 2609 KiB  
Article
Developing Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for Motile/Non-Motile Bacteria Treated with Antibiotics Covering Five Bactericidal Mechanisms on the Basis of Bead-Based Optical Diffusometry
by Yao-Tzu Yang, Jhih-Cheng Wang and Han-Sheng Chuang
Biosensors 2020, 10(11), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios10110181 - 19 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3800
Abstract
Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is an effective measure in the treatment of infections and the prevention of bacterial drug resistance. However, diverse antibiotic types and bacterial characteristics have formed complicated barriers to rapid diagnosis. To counteract these limitations, we investigated the interactions [...] Read more.
Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is an effective measure in the treatment of infections and the prevention of bacterial drug resistance. However, diverse antibiotic types and bacterial characteristics have formed complicated barriers to rapid diagnosis. To counteract these limitations, we investigated the interactions between antibiotic-treated bacteria and functionalized microbeads in optical diffusometry. The conjugation with bacteria increased the effective microbead complex size, thereby resulting in a temporal diffusivity change. The yielded data were sorted and analyzed to delineate a pattern for the prediction of antimicrobial susceptibility. The outcome showed that a completed rapid AST based on the trend of microbead diffusivity could provide results within 3 h (2 h measurement + 1 h computation). In this research, we studied four bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus, and six antibiotics. Despite the different inhibitory effects caused by various antibiotics, similar trends in diffusivity alteration for all susceptible and resistant cases in the last 40 min of the 2-h measurement period were deduced. In addition, the AST results obtained using optical diffusometry showed good agreement with those acquired from the commercial instrument and conventional culture methods. Finally, we conducted a single-blinded clinical test, and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the system reached 92.9%, 91.4%, and 91.8%, respectively. Overall, the developed optical diffusometry showcased rapid AST with a small sample volume (20 μL) and low initial bacterial count (105 CFU/mL). This technique provided a promising way to achieve early therapy against microbial diseases in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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14 pages, 3001 KiB  
Article
Colorimetric Diagnostic Capillary Enabled by Size Sieving in a Porous Hydrogel
by John Mello Camille C. Guzman, Sheng-Min Hsu and Han-Sheng Chuang
Biosensors 2020, 10(10), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios10100130 - 23 Sep 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3840
Abstract
Handy and disposable point-of-care diagnostics facilitate the early screening of severe diseases in resource-limited areas. To address urgent needs in inconvenient sites, a simple colorimetric diagnostic device equipped with a capillary tube with porous hydrogel and immunocomplex particles was developed for the rapid [...] Read more.
Handy and disposable point-of-care diagnostics facilitate the early screening of severe diseases in resource-limited areas. To address urgent needs in inconvenient sites, a simple colorimetric diagnostic device equipped with a capillary tube with porous hydrogel and immunocomplex particles was developed for the rapid detection of biomarkers (16 min). In this device, probe particles attach to capture particles (dp = 40 µm) and form sandwiched immunocomplexes in the presence of target biomarkers, and a red color progressively emerges when the sandwiched immunocomplex particles are blocked by the porous hydrogel embedded inside the glass capillary. Colorimetric aggregation was recorded using a smartphone and analyzed with imaging software. The limit of detection reached 1 ng/mL and showed a maximum of 79% accuracy compared with that obtained through a conventional spectrophotometric technique. The level of a diabetic retinopathy (DR) biomarker, lipocalin-1 (LCN-1), was measured in 1 µL of a human tear sample and used in testing the practicability of the proposed device. All healthy subjects showed lower intensity levels than the other diabetic counterparts (proliferative DR or nonproliferative DR patients), implying the potential of this device in clinical applications. Overall, the diagnostic device facilitates point-of-care-testing and provides a low-cost (~1 USD), compact, and reliable tool for early diagnosis in resource-limited areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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11 pages, 1253 KiB  
Article
CO2 Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometer for Measuring Acetone in the Breath of Lung Cancer Patients
by Mitrayana, Donni Kis Apriyanto and Mirza Satriawan
Biosensors 2020, 10(6), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios10060055 - 27 May 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5103
Abstract
A CO2 laser has the advantages of being high in power and having many laser lines in the 9–11 µm infrared region. Thus, a CO2 laser photoacoustic spectrometer (PAS) can have a multi-component measurement capability for many gas compounds that have [...] Read more.
A CO2 laser has the advantages of being high in power and having many laser lines in the 9–11 µm infrared region. Thus, a CO2 laser photoacoustic spectrometer (PAS) can have a multi-component measurement capability for many gas compounds that have non-zero absorption coefficients at the laser lines, and therefore can be applied for measuring several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the human breath. We have developed a CO2 laser PAS system for detecting acetone in the human breath. Although acetone has small absorption coefficients at the CO2 laser lines, our PAS system was able to obtain strong photoacoustic (PA) signals at several CO2 laser lines, with the strongest one being at the 10P20 line. Since at the 10P20 line, ethylene and ammonia also have significant absorption coefficients, these two gases have to be included in a multi-component measurement with acetone. We obtained the lowest detection limit of our system for the ethylene, acetone, and ammonia are 6 ppbv, 11 ppbv, and 31 ppbv, respectively. We applied our PAS system to measure these three VOCs in the breath of three groups of subjects, i.e., patients with lung cancer disease, patients with other lung diseases, and healthy volunteers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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Review

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19 pages, 3830 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Multiplexed Wearable Sensor Platforms for Real-Time Monitoring Lifetime Stress: A Review
by Heena Kim, Jaeyoon Song, Sehyeon Kim, Suyoung Lee, Yejin Park, Seungjun Lee, Seunghee Lee and Jinsik Kim
Biosensors 2023, 13(4), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13040470 - 11 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4264
Abstract
Researchers are interested in measuring mental stress because it is linked to a variety of diseases. Real-time stress monitoring via wearable sensor systems can aid in the prevention of stress-related diseases by allowing stressors to be controlled immediately. Physical tests, such as heart [...] Read more.
Researchers are interested in measuring mental stress because it is linked to a variety of diseases. Real-time stress monitoring via wearable sensor systems can aid in the prevention of stress-related diseases by allowing stressors to be controlled immediately. Physical tests, such as heart rate or skin conductance, have recently been used to assess stress; however, these methods are easily influenced by daily life activities. As a result, for more accurate stress monitoring, validations requiring two or more stress-related biomarkers are demanded. In this review, the combinations of various types of sensors (hereafter referred to as multiplexed sensor systems) that can be applied to monitor stress are discussed, referring to physical and chemical biomarkers. Multiplexed sensor systems are classified as multiplexed physical sensors, multiplexed physical–chemical sensors, and multiplexed chemical sensors, with the effect of measuring multiple biomarkers and the ability to measure stress being the most important. The working principles of multiplexed sensor systems are subdivided, with advantages in measuring multiple biomarkers. Furthermore, stress-related chemical biomarkers are still limited to cortisol; however, we believe that by developing multiplexed sensor systems, it will be possible to explore new stress-related chemical biomarkers by confirming their correlations to cortisol. As a result, the potential for further development of multiplexed sensor systems, such as the development of wearable electronics for mental health management, is highlighted in this review. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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22 pages, 1674 KiB  
Review
Analytical Challenges in Diabetes Management: Towards Glycated Albumin Point-of-Care Detection
by Andrea Rescalli, Elena Maria Varoni, Francesco Cellesi and Pietro Cerveri
Biosensors 2022, 12(9), 687; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12090687 - 26 Aug 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6015
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide-spread chronic metabolic disease that occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin levels or when the body fails to effectively use the secreted pancreatic insulin, eventually resulting in hyperglycemia. Systematic glycemic control is the only procedure at [...] Read more.
Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide-spread chronic metabolic disease that occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin levels or when the body fails to effectively use the secreted pancreatic insulin, eventually resulting in hyperglycemia. Systematic glycemic control is the only procedure at our disposal to prevent diabetes long-term complications such as cardiovascular disorders, kidney diseases, nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Glycated albumin (GA) has recently gained more and more attention as a control biomarker thanks to its shorter lifespan and wider reliability compared to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), currently the “gold standard” for diabetes screening and monitoring in clinics. Various techniques such as ion exchange, liquid or affinity-based chromatography and immunoassay can be employed to accurately measure GA levels in serum samples; nevertheless, due to the cost of the lab equipment and complexity of the procedures, these methods are not commonly available at clinical sites and are not suitable to home monitoring. The present review describes the most up-to-date advances in the field of glycemic control biomarkers, exploring in particular the GA with a special focus on the recent experimental analysis techniques, using enzymatic and affinity methods. Finally, analysis steps and fundamental reading technologies are integrated into a processing pipeline, paving the way for future point-of-care testing (POCT). In this view, we highlight how this setup might be employed outside a laboratory environment to reduce the time from measurement to clinical decision, and to provide diabetic patients with a brand-new set of tools for glycemic self-monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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21 pages, 1963 KiB  
Review
Review of Microdevices for Hemozoin-Based Malaria Detection
by Vitória Baptista, Weng Kung Peng, Graça Minas, Maria Isabel Veiga and Susana O. Catarino
Biosensors 2022, 12(2), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12020110 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5374
Abstract
Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria still puts almost half of the world’s population at risk. Thus, prompt, accurate and sensitive malaria diagnosis is crucial for disease control and elimination. Optical microscopy and immuno-rapid tests are the standard malaria diagnostic methods in the [...] Read more.
Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria still puts almost half of the world’s population at risk. Thus, prompt, accurate and sensitive malaria diagnosis is crucial for disease control and elimination. Optical microscopy and immuno-rapid tests are the standard malaria diagnostic methods in the field. However, these are time-consuming and fail to detect low-level parasitemia. Biosensors and lab-on-a-chip devices, as reported to different applications, usually offer high sensitivity, specificity, and ease of use at the point of care. Thus, these can be explored as an alternative for malaria diagnosis. Alongside malaria infection inside the human red blood cells, parasites consume host hemoglobin generating the hemozoin crystal as a by-product. Hemozoin is produced in all parasite species either in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Furthermore, hemozoin crystals are produced as the parasites invade the red blood cells and their content relates to disease progression. Hemozoin is, therefore, a unique indicator of infection, being used as a malaria biomarker. Herein, the so-far developed biosensors and lab-on-a-chip devices aiming for malaria detection by targeting hemozoin as a biomarker are reviewed and discussed to fulfil all the medical demands for malaria management towards elimination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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47 pages, 7385 KiB  
Review
Biomolecules and Electrochemical Tools in Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance: A Systematic Review
by Ana Lúcia Morais, Patrícia Rijo, María Belén Batanero Hernán and Marisa Nicolai
Biosensors 2020, 10(9), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios10090121 - 10 Sep 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4558
Abstract
Over recent three decades, the electrochemical techniques have become widely used in biological identification and detection, because it presents optimum features for efficient and sensitive molecular detection of organic compounds, being able to trace quantities with a minimum of reagents and sample manipulation. [...] Read more.
Over recent three decades, the electrochemical techniques have become widely used in biological identification and detection, because it presents optimum features for efficient and sensitive molecular detection of organic compounds, being able to trace quantities with a minimum of reagents and sample manipulation. Given these special features, electrochemical techniques are regularly exploited in disease diagnosis and monitoring. Specifically, amperometric electrochemical analysis has proven to be quite suitable for the detection of physiological biomarkers in monitoring health conditions, as well as toward the control of reactive oxygen species released in the course of oxidative burst during inflammatory events. Besides, electrochemical detection techniques involve a simple and swift assessment that provides a low detection-limit for most of the molecules enclosed biological fluids and related to non-transmittable morbidities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensing Technologies in Medical Applications)
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