Difunctional Hydrogel Optical Fiber Fluorescence Sensor for Continuous and Simultaneous Monitoring of Glucose and pH

Hydrogel for light delivery in biomedical applications

Traditional optical waveguides or mediums are often silica-based materials, but their applications in biomedicine and healthcare are limited due to the poor biocompatibility and unsuitable mechanical properties. In term of the applications in human body, a biocompatible hydrogel system with excellent optical transparency and mechanical flexibility could be beneficial. In this review, we explore the different designs of hydrogel-based optical waveguides derived from natural and synthetic sources. We highlighted key developments such as light emitting contact lenses, implantable optical fibres, biosensing systems, luminating and fluorescent materials. Finally, we expand further on the challenges and perspectives for hydrogel waveguides to achieve clinical applications.

Dual-Function Wearable Hydrogel Optical Fiber for Monitoring Posture and Sweat pH

In recent years, wearable devices have been widely used for human health monitoring. Such monitoring predominantly relies on the principles of optics and electronics. However, electronic detection is susceptible to electromagnetic interference, and traditional optical fiber detection is limited in functionality and unable to simultaneously detect both physical and chemical signals. Hence, a wearable, embedded asymmetric color-blocked optical fiber sensor based on a hydrogel has been developed. Its sensing principle is grounded in the total internal reflection within the optical fiber. The method for posture sensing involves changes in the light path due to fiber bending with color blocks providing wavelength-selective modulation by absorption changes. Sweat pH sensing is facilitated by variations in fluorescence intensity triggered by sweat-induced conformational changes in Rhodamine B. With just one fiber, it achieves both physical and chemical signal detection. Fabricated using a molding technique, this fiber boasts excellent biocompatibility and can accurately discern single and multiple bending points, with a recognition range of 0-90° for a single segment, a detection limit of 0.02 mm-1 and a sweat pH sensing linear regression R2 of 0.993, alongside great light propagation properties (-0.6 dB·cm-1). With its extensive capabilities, it holds promise for applications in medical monitoring.

The Fluorescent Detection of Glucose and Lactic Acid Based on Fluorescent Iron Nanoclusters

In this paper, a novel fluorescent detection method for glucose and lactic acid was developed based on fluorescent iron nanoclusters (Fe NCs). The Fe NCs prepared using hemin as the main raw material exhibited excellent water solubility, bright red fluorescence, and super sensitive response to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This paper demonstrates that Fe NCs exhibit excellent peroxide-like activity, catalyzing H2O2 to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH) that can quench the red fluorescence of Fe NCs. In this paper, a new type of glucose sensor was established by combining Fe NCs with glucose oxidase (GluOx). With the increase in glucose content, the fluorescence of Fe NCs decreases correspondingly, and the glucose content can be detected in the scope of 0-200 μmol·L-1 (μM). Similarly, the lactic acid sensor can also be established by combining Fe NCs with lactate oxidase (LacOx). With the increase in lactic acid concentration, the fluorescence of Fe NCs decreases correspondingly, and the lactic acid content can be detected in the range of 0-100 μM. Furthermore, Fe NCs were used in the preparation of gel test strip, which can be used to detect H2O2, glucose and lactic acid successfully by the changes of fluorescent intensity.

Non-Invasive Glucose Sensing Technologies and Products: A Comprehensive Review for Researchers and Clinicians

Diabetes Mellitus incidence and its negative outcomes have dramatically increased worldwide and are expected to further increase in the future due to a combination of environmental and social factors. Several methods of measuring glucose concentration in various body compartments have been described in the literature over the years. Continuous advances in technology open the road to novel measuring methods and innovative measurement sites. The aim of this comprehensive review is to report all the methods and products for non-invasive glucose measurement described in the literature over the past five years that have been tested on both human subjects/samples and tissue models. A literature review was performed in the MDPI database, with 243 articles reviewed and 124 included in a narrative summary. Different comparisons of techniques focused on the mechanism of action, measurement site, and machine learning application, outlining the main advantages and disadvantages described/expected so far. This review represents a comprehensive guide for clinicians and industrial designers to sum the most recent results in non-invasive glucose sensing techniques' research and production to aid the progress in this promising field.

Surface Functionalised Optical Fibre for Detection of Hydrogen Sulphide

Dysregulated production of hydrogen sulphide in the human body has been associated with various diseases including cancer, underlining the importance of accurate detection of this molecule. Here, we report the detection of hydrogen sulphide using fluorescence-emission enhancement of two 1,8-naphthalimide fluorescent probes with an azide moiety in position 4. One probe, serving as a control, featured a methoxyethyl moiety through the imide to evaluate its effectiveness for hydrogen sulphide detection, while the other probe was modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) to enable direct covalent attachment to an optical fibre tip. We coated the optical fibre tip relatively homogeneously with the APTES-azide fluorophore, as confirmed via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The absorption and fluorescence responses of the control fluorophore free in PBS were analysed using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectrophotometry, while the fluorescence emission of the APTES-azide fluorophore-coated optical fibres was examined using a simple, low-cost optical fibre-based setup. Both fluorescent probes exhibited a significant increase (more than double the initial value) in fluorescence emission upon the addition of HS- when excited with 405 nm. However, the fluorescence enhancement of the coated optical fibres demonstrated a much faster response time of 2 min (time for the fluorescence intensity to reach 90% of its maximum value) compared to the control fluorophore in solution (30 min). Additionally, the temporal evolution of fluorescence intensity of the fluorophore coated on the optical fibre was studied at two pH values (7.4 and 6.4), demonstrating a reasonable overlap and confirming the compound pH insensitivity within this range. The promising results from this study indicate the potential for developing an optical fibre-based sensing system for HS- detection using the synthesised fluorophore, which could have significant applications in health monitoring and disease detection.

Fluorescent-Nanoparticle-Impregnated Nanocomposite Polymeric Gels for Biosensing and Drug Delivery Applications

Nanocomposite polymeric gels infused with fluorescent nanoparticles have surfaced as a propitious category of substances for biomedical purposes owing to their exceptional characteristics. The aforementioned materials possess a blend of desirable characteristics, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, drug encapsulation, controlled release capabilities, and optical properties that are conducive to imaging and tracking. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the synthesis and characterization of fluorescent-nanoparticle-impregnated nanocomposite polymeric gels, as well as their biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, imaging, and tissue engineering. In this discourse, we deliberate upon the merits and obstacles linked to these substances, encompassing biocompatibility, drug encapsulation, optical characteristics, and scalability. The present study aims to provide an overall evaluation of the potential of fluorescent-nanoparticle-impregnated nanocomposite polymeric gels for biomedical applications. Additionally, emerging trends and future directions for research in this area are highlighted.

Biosensors Based on Inorganic Composite Fluorescent Hydrogels

Fluorescent hydrogels are promising candidate materials for portable biosensors to be used in point-of-care diagnosis because (1) they have a greater capacity for binding organic molecules than immunochromatographic test systems, determined by the immobilization of affinity labels within the three-dimensional hydrogel structure; (2) fluorescent detection is more sensitive than the colorimetric detection of gold nanoparticles or stained latex microparticles; (3) the properties of the gel matrix can be finely tuned for better compatibility and detection of different analytes; and (4) hydrogel biosensors can be made to be reusable and suitable for studying dynamic processes in real time. Water-soluble fluorescent nanocrystals are widely used for in vitro and in vivo biological imaging due to their unique optical properties, and hydrogels based on these allow the preservation of these properties in bulk composite macrostructures. Here we review the techniques for obtaining analyte-sensitive fluorescent hydrogels based on nanocrystals, the main methods used for detecting the fluorescent signal changes, and the approaches to the formation of inorganic fluorescent hydrogels via sol-gel phase transition using surface ligands of the nanocrystals.