Biomedical application of optical fibre sensors

Abstract 

Optical fibre sensors (OFS), as a result of their unique properties such as small size, no interference with electromagnetic radiation, high sensitivity and the ability to design multiplexed or distributed sensing systems, have found applications ranging from structural health monitoring to biomedical and point of care instrumentation. While the former represents the main commercial application for OFS, there is body of literature concerning the deployment of this versatile sensing platform in healthcare. This paper reviews the different types of OFS and their most recent applications in healthcare. It aims to help clinicians to better understand OFS technology and also provides an overview of the challenges involved in the deployment of developed technology in healthcare. Examples of the application of OFS in healthcare are discussed with particular emphasis on recently (2015–2017) published works to avoid replicating recent review papers. The majority of the work on the development of biomedical OFS stops at the laboratory stage and, with a few exceptions, is not explored in healthcare settings. OFSs have yet to fulfil their great potential in healthcare and methods of increasing the adoption of medical devices based on optical fibres are discussed. It is important to consider these factors early in the device development process for successful translation of the developed sensors to healthcare practice.

1. Introduction 

This paper reviews recent achievements in the area of optical fibre sensors (OFS) and the application of the technology in healthcare. The first section of the paper introduces the principle of operation of optical fibres as a sensing platform, discussing different types and configurations of OFS and difficulties of comparison between them with an aim of providing an overview of OFS capabilities for end users (clinicians/healthcare workers). The sensors are then classified according to the measurands used in healthcare and are classified as physical (temperature, strain, pressure) and biochemical (volatile organic compounds (VOCs), biomarkers, proteins, immuno-sensors). Examples of the application of OFS in healthcare are discussed with particular emphasis on recently (2015–2017) published works to avoid replicating recent review papers on pressure [1], temperature [2] and biosensor [3] applications in healthcare. The use of optical fibres to deliver and collect light in applications such as laser Doppler flowmetry and oximetry are mentioned only briefly, as