This set of articles will focus on the revolutionary impact of biosensor technology on our lives and the world of medicine. We will explore the past, advances, and current status of this innovative category of medical devices, as well as its impact on our global society and the promising future prospects it offers. From detecting glucose levels in diabetic patients to monitoring critical vital signs in medical settings, biosensors have transformed the way healthcare professionals make clinical decisions and how patients manage their medical conditions. |
A biosensor is a device that detects biological or chemical processes by producing signals proportional to an analyte concentration in the reaction. Biosensors are used in applications such as illness monitoring, drug discovery, and the detection of contaminants, disease-causing microorganisms, and disease markers in body fluids (blood, urine, saliva, and sweat). Figure 1 depicts a conventional biosensor, which includes the following components.[1]
Analyte: A material of interest that must be identified. Glucose, for example, is a 'analyte' in a biosensor designed to detect glucose.
Bioreceptor: A bioreceptor is a molecule that identifies the analyte specifically. Bioreceptors include enzymes, cells, aptamers, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and antibodies. Bio-recognition refers to the process of signal creation (in the form of light, heat, pH, charge or mass shift, etc.) that occurs when a bioreceptor interacts with an analyte.
Transducer: A transducer is an element that transfers one type of energy into another. The transducer in a biosensor converts the bio-recognition event into a quantifiable signal. This energy conversion process is called as signalisation. The majority of transducers provide optical or electrical signals that are proportional to the number of analyte-bioreceptor interactions.
Electronics: The portion of a biosensor that processes and prepares the transduced signal for display. It is made up of complicated electrical circuitry that provides signal conditioning functions such as amplification and signal conversion from analogue to digital. The processed signals are then quantified by the biosensor's display unit.
Display: A display is a user interpretation system, such as a computer's liquid crystal display or a direct printer, that creates numbers or curves that the user can comprehend. This component is frequently a mix of hardware and software that delivers user-friendly biosensor findings. Depending on the end user's needs, the output signal on the display might be numeric, visual, tabular, or a picture. [1]
Figure 01: Schematic representation of a biosensor [1]
Biosensors function on patients by detecting and measuring biological or chemical reactions in the body. They can be used to monitor a variety of health conditions, including blood glucose levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. Biosensors can also be used to detect diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.
Biosensors offer a wide range of applications that strive to enhance people's lives. This category includes applications such as environmental monitoring, illness detection, food safety, defence, drug development, and many more. One of the most common uses of biosensors is the detection of biomolecules that are either disease markers or therapeutic targets. Electrochemical biosensing methods, for example, can be utilised as clinical tools to identify protein cancer biomarkers.
Figure 02: Application of Biosensor
There are two main types of biosensors: electrochemical and optical. Electrochemical biosensors use an electrical current to measure the concentration of a substance in the body. Optical biosensors use light to measure the concentration of a substance.
Biosensors can be used in a variety of ways to monitor patients. They can be implanted in the body, attached to the skin, or ingested. Implanted biosensors are the most accurate, but they are also the most invasive. Attached biosensors are less accurate, but they are more comfortable for patients. Ingested biosensors are the least accurate, but they are the most convenient. [2]
Figure 03: Electrochemical & Optical Biosensors based on multifunctional MXene nanoplatforms
How will these sensors monitor patients, provide medicine, and so on?
Biosensors can also be used to release medication in a controlled manner. This can be used to deliver medication to a specific part of the body, or to release medication at a specific time.
Here are some examples of how biosensors can be used to monitor patients and release medication:
A biosensor could be implanted in the body to monitor blood glucose levels. If the blood glucose levels start to drop, the biosensor could release a small dose of insulin to keep the levels in a safe range.
A biosensor could be attached to the skin to monitor heart rate. If the heart rate starts to increase, the biosensor could release a small dose of beta-blockers to slow the heart rate down.
A biosensor could be ingested to detect the presence of bacteria in the gut. If bacteria are detected, the biosensor could release a small dose of antibiotics to fight the infection.
Heart rate monitoring: Biosensors are used to monitor heart rate in patients with heart conditions. This allows doctors to track the patient's heart health and adjust their medication as needed. [3]
Blood pressure monitoring: Biosensors are used to monitor blood pressure in patients with hypertension. This allows doctors to track the patient's blood pressure and adjust their medication as needed.
Cancer detection: Biosensors are being developed to detect cancer at an early stage. This could help to improve the chances of successful treatment. [2]
Figure 04: Electrochemical Biosensors for the Analysis of Breast Cancer Biomarkers
How will this information be used by medical professionals?
Medical professionals will use the information from biosensors in a variety of ways. They can use this information to:
Diagnose diseases: Biosensors can be used to detect the presence of specific molecules, such as bacteria or viruses. This information can be used to diagnose diseases and track the effectiveness of treatment. [1]
Monitor patients: Biosensors can be used to monitor the levels of different substances in the body, such as glucose, electrolytes, and hormones. This information can be used to track a patient's health and adjust their treatment as needed.
Deliver medication: Biosensors can be used to deliver medication in a controlled manner. This can be used to deliver medication to a specific part of the body, or to release medication at a specific time. [3]
Prevent complications: Biosensors can be used to monitor patients and detect potential problems early on. This can help to prevent complications from developing.
Improve quality of life: Biosensors can be used to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic diseases. For example, biosensors can be used to monitor blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, so that they can adjust their insulin intake and prevent dangerous spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. [6]
How will it benefit our health and happiness? What impact will this have on medicine?
Remotely monitored bio-sensors have the potential to significantly improve our health and well-being in several ways:
Early Detection and Prevention: Bio-sensors continuously monitor vital indicators and provide real-time data on changes in health parameters. This enables early detection of potential health issues, allowing for timely intervention and prevention of disease progression. By identifying subtle changes in indicators, bio-sensors can alert individuals and healthcare professionals to take necessary actions before a condition worsens, leading to improved outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. [5]
Personalized Medicine: Bio-sensors provide detailed and individualized data about an individual's health status. This data can be analyzed to tailor treatment plans and interventions to specific needs, resulting in personalized medicine. By considering an individual's unique health profile, including physiological responses, medication adherence, and lifestyle factors, healthcare providers can optimize treatment approaches, ensuring the most effective and targeted care. [2]
Chronic Disease Management: Remotely monitored bio-sensors play a crucial role in the management of chronic diseases. For individuals with conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, or respiratory disorders, bio-sensors provide continuous monitoring of key indicators. This enables better management of medication adherence, early identification of exacerbations or complications, and timely intervention. By facilitating proactive monitoring and self-management, bio-sensors empower individuals to take control of their health and make informed decisions. [2]
Remote Patient Monitoring: Bio-sensors enable remote patient monitoring, allowing healthcare providers to monitor patients' health status without the need for frequent in-person visits. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with limited mobility, those in rural or remote areas, or patients requiring long-term monitoring. Remote monitoring reduces the burden on healthcare facilities, improves access to care, and enhances patient comfort and convenience.
Enhanced Healthcare Efficiency: Remotely monitored bio-sensors streamline healthcare processes by automating data collection, analysis, and communication. Healthcare professionals can access real-time patient data, reducing the need for manual record-keeping and enabling timely decision-making. This improves efficiency, reduces the risk of errors, and allows healthcare providers to allocate resources more effectively.[4]
Conclusion: In vitro molecular biosensors are currently widely used in biomedical diagnostics as well as a variety of other applications such as point-of-care therapy and illness progression monitoring, environmental monitoring, food control, drug discovery, forensics, and biomedical research. Biosensor devices necessitate the collaboration of various disciplines and rely on very distinct aspects such as the investigation of interactions of bio-recognition elements with biomolecular analytes, the immobilisation of biomolecules onto solid surfaces, the development of anti-fouling surface chemistries, device design and fabrication, the integration of biology with the devices, microfluidics, on-chip electronics, packaging, sampling techniques, and so on.
Future research should concentrate on elucidating the mechanism of interaction between nanomaterials and biomolecules on the surface of electrodes or nanofilms, as well as on leveraging unique features to create a new generation of biosensors. Nevertheless, nanomaterial-based biosensors show great attractive prospects, which will be broadly applied in clinical diagnosis, food analysis, process control, and environmental monitoring in the near future.
About the Author:
Maheen Javed, M.D. graduated as a medical doctor in 2020 with experience in medical research, medical writing and other diverse areas in the medical field. She currently practices in a hospital and works as a professional medical writer and researcher, writing technical articles on a wide variety of topics in the medical field, such as mental health, diabetes, women's health, cancer research, psychiatry, neurology, surgery and mental health.
About the Editor:
Brian Hoy has over 20 years of experience in the medical device industry and business formation, supporting the full lifecycle with global scope. Brian consults for industry and provides general advisory and off-hours support.
References:
2. Bergveld P. Development of an ion-sensitive solid-state device for neurophysiological measurements. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 1970;1(7):70–71. doi: 10.1109/TBME.1970.4502688.
3. Yoo E.H., Lee S.Y. Glucose biosensors: an overview of use in clinical practice. Sensors. 2010;10:4558–4576. doi: 10.3390/s100504558.
4. Liedberg B., Nylander C., Lunström I. Surface plasmon resonance for gas detection and biosensing. Sens. Actuators. 1983;4:299–304. doi: 10.1016/0250-6874(83)85036-7.
7. Jolly P., Formisano N., Estrela P. DNA aptamer-based detection of prostate cancer. Chem. Pap. 2015;69:77–89. doi: 10.1515/chempap-2015-0025.
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