Sensor technologies for monitoring metabolic activity in single cells-part II: nonoptical methods and applications

A review of solid-state chemical and electrochemical sensors to detect metabolic activity at the extracellular, single-cell level is presented in the context of the development of lab-on-a-chip research instrumentation. Metabolic processes in cells are briefly reviewed with the goal of quantifying the role of metabolites within the cell. Sensors reviewed include both research and commercial devices that can noninvasively detect extracellular metabolites, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, and glucose. Metabolic activity can also be sensed nonselectively by measuring pH gradients. Performance metrics, such as sensitivity, sensor size, drift, time response, and sensing range, are included when available. Highly suitable sensor technologies for monitoring cellular metabolic activity include electrochemical sensors, scanning electrochemical microscopy, ion-sensitive field effect transistor sensors, and solid-state light-addressable potentiometric sensors. Other less-suitable, but still potentially viable, solid-state sensing technologies are also reviewed briefly, including resonant chemical sensors (surface acoustic wave and quartz crystal microbalance), conductivity or impedance sensors, and sensors with multiple transduction stages. Specific biological applications which benefit from detection of extracellular metabolic events at the single-cell level are discussed to provide context to the practical use of these sensor technologies; these applications include case studies of various diseases (cancer, diabetes, mitochondrial disorders. etc.), cell and tissue differentiation; cell and tissue storage; cell life cycle and basic cellular processes; and developmental biology.     

Dual fluorescence sensor for trace oxygen and temperature with unmatched range and sensitivity

An optical dual sensor for oxygen and temperature is presented that is highly oxygen sensitive and covers a broad temperature range. Dual sensing is based on luminescence lifetime measurements. The novel sensor contains two luminescent compounds incorporated into polymer films. The temperature-sensitive dye (ruthenium tris-1,10-phenanthroline) has a highly temperature-dependent luminescence and is incorporated in poly(acrylonitrile) to avoid cross-sensitivity to oxygen. Fullerene C70 was used as the oxygen-sensitive probe owing to its strong thermally activated delayed fluorescence at elevated temperatures that is extremely oxygen sensitive. The cross-sensitivity of C70 to temperature is accounted for by means of the temperature sensor. C70 is incorporated into a highly oxygen-permeable polymer, either ethyl cellulose or organosilica. The two luminescent probes have different emission spectra and decay times, and their emissions can be discriminated using both parameters. Spatially resolved sensing is achieved by means of fluorescence lifetime imaging. The response times of the sensor to oxygen are short. The dual sensor exhibits a temperature operation range between at least 0 and 120 degrees C, and detection limits for oxygen in the ppbv range, operating for oxygen concentrations up to at least 50 ppmv. These ranges outperform all dual oxygen and temperature sensors reported so far. The dual sensor presented in this study is especially appropriate for measurements under extreme conditions such as high temperatures and ultralow oxygen levels. This dual sensor is a key step forward in a number of scientifically or commercially important applications including food packaging, for monitoring of hyperthermophilic microorganisms, in space technology, and safety and security applications in terms of detection of oxygen leaks.     

Emerging biomedical sensing technologies and their applications

Recent progress in biomedical sensing technologies has resulted in the development of several novel sensor products and new applications. Modern biomedical sensors developed with advanced microfabrication and signal processing techniques are becoming inexpensive, accurate, and reliable. A broad range of sensing mechanisms has significantly increased the number of possible target measurands that can be detected. The miniaturization of classical "bulky" measurement techniques has led to the realization of complex analytical systems, including such sensors as the BioChemLab-on-a-Chip. This rapid progress in miniature devices and instrumentation development will significantly impact the practice of medical care as well as future advances in the biomedical industry. Currently, electrochemical, optical, and acoustic wave sensing technologies have emerged as some of the most promising biomedical sensor technologies. In this paper, important features of these technologies, along with new developments and some of the applications, are presented.     

Toward Smart Sensing by MXene (Small 14/2023)

The Internet of Things era has promoted enormous research on sensors, communications, data fusion, and actuators. Among them, sensors are a prerequisite for acquiring the environmental information for delivering to an artificial data center to make decisions. The MXene-based sensors have aroused tremendous interest because of their extraordinary performances. In this review, the electrical, electronic, and optical properties of MXenes are first introduced. Next, the MXene-based sensors are discussed according to the sensing mechanisms such as electronic, electrochemical, and optical methods. Initially, biosensors are introduced based on chemiresistors and field-effect transistors. Besides, the wearable pressure sensor is demonstrated with piezoresistive devices. Third, the electrochemical methods include amperometry and electrochemiluminescence as examples. In addition, the optical approaches refer to surface plasmonic resonance and fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Moreover, the prospects are delivered of multimodal data fusion toward complicated human-like senses. Eventually, future opportunities for MXene research are conveyed in the new material discovery, structure design, and proof-of-concept devices.     

Chemical sensors for portable, handheld field instruments

A review of three commonly used classes of chemical sensor technologies as applicable to implementation in portable, handheld field instruments is presented. Solid-state gas and chemical sensors have long been heralded as the solution to a wide variety of portable chemical sensing system applications. However, advances in optical sensing technology have reduced the size of supporting infrastructure to be competitive with their solid-state counterparts. Optical, solid-state, and hybrid arrays of sensors have application for portable instruments, but issues of insufficient selectivity and sensitivity continue to hamper the widespread introduction of these miniaturized sensors for solving chemical sensing problems in environments outside the laboratory. In this article, we evaluate three of the major classes of compact chemical sensors for portable applications: (solid-state) chemiresistors, (solid-state) CHEMFETs, and (optical) surface plasmon resonance sensors (SPR). These sensors are evaluated and reviewed, according to the current state of research, in terms of their ability to operate at low-power, small-size, and relatively low-cost in environments, with numerous interferents and variable ambient conditions     

光致发光无机-有机复合薄膜的研究进展

光致发光复合薄膜具有传统复合纳米薄膜材料的优越性,且发光材料的引入赋予薄膜良好的光学性能,目前已成为功能材料领域的一个研究热点。综述了该类复合薄膜的研究现状,总结了其分类及近年来常用的制备方法,并对各种方法的原理、应用状况及优缺点分别加以阐述。进一步概述了光致发光复合薄膜在薄膜传感器、农用光转换膜等方面的应用情况。最后,展望了其今后的研究方向和发展前景。     

Development of an ordered array of optoelectrochemical individually readable sensors with submicrometer dimensions: application to remote electrochemiluminescence imaging

A novel array of optoelectrochemical submicrometer sensors for remote electrochemiluminescence (ECL) imaging is presented. This device was fabricated by chemical etching of a coherent optical fiber bundle to produce a nanotip array. The surface of the etched bundle was sputter-coated with a thin layer of indium tin oxide in order to create a transparent and electrically conductive surface that is insulated eventually by a new electrophoretic paint except for the apex of the tip. These fabrication steps produced an ordered array of optoelectrochemical sensors with submicrometer dimensions that retains the optical fiber bundle architecture. The electrochemical behavior of the sensor array was independently characterized by cyclic voltammetry and ECL experiments. The steady-state current indicates that the sensors are diffusively independent. This sensor array was further studied with a co-reactant ECL model system, such as Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/TPrA. We clearly observed an ordered array of individual ECL micrometer spots, which corresponds to the sensor array structure. While the sensors of the array are not individually addressable electrochemically, we could establish that the sensors are optically independent and individually readable. Finally, we show that remote ECL imaging is performed quantitatively through the optoelectrochemical sensor array itself.     

Overview of automotive sensors

An up-to-date review paper on automotive sensors is presented. Attention is focused on sensors used in production automotive systems. The primary sensor technologies in use today are reviewed and are classified according to their three major areas of automotive systems application-powertrain, chassis, and body. This subject is extensive. As described in this paper, for use in automotive systems, there are six types of rotational motion sensors, four types of pressure sensors, five types of position sensors, and three types of temperature sensors. Additionally, two types of mass air flow sensors, five types of exhaust gas oxygen sensors, one type of engine knock sensor, four types of linear acceleration sensors, four types of angular-rate sensors, four types of occupant comfort/convenience sensors, two types of near-distance obstacle detection sensors, four types of far-distance obstacle detection sensors, and and ten types of emerging, state-of the-art, sensor technologies are identified     

Fiber-optic-graded-index-lens absorbance sensor with wavelength-scanning capability

A single optical-fiber absorbance sensor that contains a graded-index lens is described. The sensor can be tailored for a desired broad wavelength region, path length, and size. Laboratory evaluations of sensors of varying sizes and path lengths are presented. The sensors, even without the added expense of optical coatings, report true absorbance spectra for the 420-850-nm wavelength region with a linear response over a wide absorbance range. Direct comparison with several other sensor configurations shows that the graded-index-lens-based sensor has a high optical efficiency. Potential applications of the sensor include absorbance measurements at hazardous or remote sites and in vivo medical applications.     

Ceramic-based chemical sensors, probes and field-tests in automobile engines

The monitoring and control of combustion-related emissions is a top priority in many industries. The major methods used to detect combustion gases fall short of practical applications for in-situ measurements in industrial environments involving high temperature and chemical contaminants. The real challenge is not only to develop highly sensitive and selective sensors, but to maintain long-term stability in such aggressive environments. This article presents an overview of a multidisciplinary research effort in ceramic-based chemical sensors, highlighting opportunities as well as challenges. The group of sensors (CO, NO _x , O₂, and CO₂) selected for this article can, in general, be used to determine the state of combustion in a wide variety of applications. Fabrication of sensor probes and their field-test results in automobile engines are also presented.     

偏振式电流传感器研究进展与展望

随着材料和技术的不断发展,偏振式光纤电流传感器的性能和精度相比过去有了很大的提升,已经能够初步满足当今的工程实际需求。回顾偏振式光纤电流传感器的发展,关键的技术逐步被突破,如温度补偿、线性双折射的抑制、变旋转率光纤、集成光波导技术以及旋转高双折射光纤的制作。基于这些新技术,一种新的偏振式电流传感器被提出。该传感器采用单模光纤进行引导,具有结构简单、精度高、成本低的优点。     

Luminescent Conjugated Polymers: Illuminating the Dark Matters of Biology and Pathology

Novel technologies for studying biological events are of great interest and luminescent conjugated polymers (LCPs), a material normally used in organic electronics, have proven useful for the detection of a wide range of disease‐related biological processes. The conformation‐sensitive optical properties of LCPs provide the ability to study the biochemical activity of biological events on the basis of a structure‐function relation, rather than a molecular basis. In this Research News article, the LCP technique and its usefulness for studying protein aggregation diseases are highlighted. We also discuss the much‐needed illuminating insights of the underlying pathological events regarding protein aggregation diseases. In addition, essential future basic research advances that relate to further development of LCPs as molecular probes are presented. We also confer the intriguing prospect of employing amyloid fibrils, that is, a symmetric stable nanomaterial normally associated with the dark side of horrific pathology, as a scaffold for functional polymer‐protein hybrid materials.     

稀土掺杂的荧光探针在生物标记领域中的研究进展

稀土掺杂的荧光探针作为一种新型荧光材料,由于其具有优良的化学稳定性、光稳定性以及低毒性,在生物标记领域引起了人们的广泛关注。综述和分析讨论了近年来有关稀土掺杂的荧光探针的传统制备技术、表面改性方法以及磁-光双功能的实现等,同时介绍了荧光探针在多色标记和多模式发光技术中的研究现状和发展趋势。     

生物传感器及其在环境分析中的应用

本文介绍了生物传感器的基本结构和分类,在讨论酶传感器、微生物传感器、免疫和光纤生物传感器、细胞和组织传感器、场效应晶体管生物传感器、压电晶体管生物传感器的基础上,综述生物传感器在环境监测领域的应用和发展,其中包括水环境、大气环境、土壤环境等各个方面,并展望了环境监测生物传感器的发展方向。     

Optical fibre-based sensors for distributed strain monitoring of asphalt pavements

Strain distribution of asphalt pavement varies in transverse and longitudinal directions, and distresses, such as cracks, ruts and settlements, often occur randomly, which can be efficiently measured by distributed optical fibre sensing technology. As bare optical fibre is weak to resist shear and torsion forces during pavement construction, the protective technique is required. Therefore, a flexible asphalt-mastic packaged optical fibre sensor was developed in this research for distributed strain monitoring of asphalt pavement. Theoretical analysis on strain transfer of the optical fibre-based sensors embedded in asphalt pavement was conducted to improve the design of the protective layer and remove the strain transfer error. Afterwards, laboratory tests on the asphalt concrete beam were carried out to validate the performance of the sensor. Finally, the proposed sensors were applied to detect the in situ performance of urban asphalt pavement under temperature and traffic loads. The results indicate that the proposed optical fibre sensor detects the distributed strain of asphalt pavement effectively, and the in situ data show significant effects of temperature and traffic loads on asphalt concrete course. This research contributes to the full-scale monitoring and health assessment of large-span pavement.     

纳米CdS的制备与应用研究

文章根据国内外近几年的研究成果,综述了水热(或溶剂热)合成法、溶胶-凝胶法和膜模拟技术三种常用的CdS制备方法及其与体材料的复合与组装研究进展,并从生物监测、发光材料、传感器和光电转换、光催化四个方面介绍了纳米CdS的应用研究。     

Controlling the color space response of colorimetric luminescent oxygen sensors

The color space response of colorimetric luminescent oxygen sensors is described in terms of the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) x,y color coordinates. We show how the color change response to oxygen can be obtained, provided the quenching kinetics for all lumophores involved can be represented mathematically. The theory is illustrated by analysis of examples of theoretical sensors in which lumophores are quenched by Stern-Volmer kinetics to give red to green, green to red, and red to green to blue color responses as the partial pressure of oxygen is increased. The effects of lumophore emission lifetime and the permeability of the polymer matrix to oxygen are discussed in terms of the control of sensor response, which variations in these parameters offer.     

Luminescent nanoparticle probes for bioimaging

Bioimaging with luminescent nanoparticle probes have recently attracted widespread interest in biology and medicine. In comparison with commonly used organic dyes, luminescent nanoparticles are better in terms of photostability and sensitivity. These optical features of nanoparticle probes are critical for real time tracking and monitoring of biological events in the cellular level, which may not be accomplished using regular fluorescent dyes. Nanoparticle probes are also shown highly suitable for immunoassay and other diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In this article, we describe a variety of optical nanoparticle probes such as quantum dots, metal nanoparticles, dye-doped nanoparticles etc. for bioimaging applications.     

光纤化学传感器的研究及其在环境分析中的应用

本文综述了光纤化学传感器的特点、工作原理、类型及各类光纤化学传感器(气敏、pH、金属离子和有机化合物等)的研究进展及其在环境分析中的应用,分析了近年来光纤化学传感器的技术发展和应用趋势。     

Design and Development of a New Edge Sensor for Web Guiding

Existing edge sensors use the concept of blocking/unblocking to determine web lateral position. The most commonly used sensors employ either ultrasonic or optical signals to detect the web edge position by measuring the amount of signal attenuation due to blocking/unblocking of the signal. The main drawback of this sensing method is nonuniform signal attenuation due to web material variations and opacity. The research in this paper develops a new sensor which utilizes the phenomena of light scattering from the web edge and the directional sensitivity of optical fibers to determine the web lateral position. A collimated light beam is incident on the web edge and scattered light is collected by a linear array of fibers spatially positioned above the web edge. Based on the intensity of light received by each fiber in the fiber array, lateral position of the web is determined. The theory of operation and the development of the sensor is described. Experiments are conducted with different web materials to validate the proposed sensing method. A representative sample of the results are presented and discussed