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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 14539

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xingcan Huang

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Guest Editor

Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: flexible electronics; biosensors; wearable sensors; bioelectronics; flexible materials

Dr. Jiyu Li

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Guest Editor

Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: epidermal electronics; thermal management; microfluidic; microstructure

Dr. Kuanming Yao

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Interests: soft electronics; human–machine interfaces; bioelectronics

Dr. Sancan Han

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Guest Editor

School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
Interests: wearable devices; FET sensor; photoelectrical sensor; nanomaterials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the convergence of electronics and biomedical engineering has catalyzed groundbreaking innovations in healthcare. Bioelectronics, a burgeoning field at this intersection, holds immense promise for transforming the landscape of healthcare monitoring and disease diagnosis. By leveraging advancements in flexible electronics, wearable sensors, and nanotechnology, researchers are developing sophisticated tools capable of real-time health monitoring and precise diagnostic capabilities.

This Special Issue aims to explore innovative technologies and methodologies that integrate electronics with biological systems. From flexible and wearable sensors, nanomaterials, and bioimaging to healthcare monitoring, disease diagnosis, and clinical applications, the scope encompasses a diverse array of disciplines and topics, such as flexible electronics, biosensors, nanomaterials, bioimaging technologies, and their clinical applications.

Dr. Xingcan Huang
Dr. Jiyu Li
Dr. Kuanming Yao
Dr. Sancan Han
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

biomedical engineering
flexible electronics
wearable sensors
biosensors
drug delivery
electrochemical sensors
nanomaterials
bioimaging
microfluidics
biomedical robotics
brain–computer interfaces
electronic noses
photoelectrical sensor
FET
OCET
cancer
medicine

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2026 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dual Monitoring of Blood Acetylcholinesterase Content and Catalytic Activity Utilizing Fluorometry-Integrated Surface Plasmon Resonance

by Yuanyuan Xie, Yifei Hou, Mengwei Hu, Hongzhuan Chen, Hao Wang, Lanxue Zhao and Jianrong Xu

Biosensors 2025, 15(2), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15020118 - 17 Feb 2025

Viewed by 602

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), particularly donepezil, are commonly used to treat mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, drug accumulation during long-term use could change AChE activity and content, leading to peripheral side effects and prompting medication discontinuation. However, there are a lack of methods to simultaneously determine the content and catalytic activity of AChE. By using phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C to strip AChE from erythrocyte surfaces, we developed a novel method combining surface plasmon resonance and fluorescence detection for the simultaneous detection of AChE content and activity, producing stable, reliable, and accurate results. The established determination range spans from 263.37 ng/mL to 3000 ng/mL (4.05 nM to 46.15 nM) for concentration, and from 39.02 mU/mL to 1000 mU/mL for activity. Compared to traditional methods, this approach simplifies operations, reduces detection time, expands the dynamic range, and lowers detection limits, potentially advancing AChE-related research and supporting clinical diagnostics and drug development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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14 pages, 3734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiple Scattering-Enhanced Fluorescence Within Randomly Oriented Low-Index Polymer Nanofiber Sensors

by Jing Sun, Tao Huang and Zhongyang Wang

Biosensors 2025, 15(2), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15020097 - 8 Feb 2025

Viewed by 948

Abstract

Fluorescence enhancement technologies play a crucial role in biological and chemical sensors. Currently, effective fluorescence sensors primarily rely on noble metals and high-index dielectric nanostructures. While effective, they are plagued by optical losses and complex fabrication processes. In contrast, low-index material nanostructures offer significant advantages, including the absence of optical losses, ease of fabrication, and cost-effectiveness, but they face the challenge of weaker electric field enhancement. Here, we designed a low-index, randomly oriented polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) nanofiber sensor via scalable electrospinning, enabling multiple scattering within the disordered nanofibers and resulting in an impressive surface-enhanced fluorescence factor of 1170. This sensor achieves a detection limit for rhodamine 6G as low as 7.24 fM, outperforming the reported fluorescence biosensors. Further results of photoluminescence decay dynamics and random lasing validate the effectiveness of multiple scattering in enhancing fluorescence within the polymer nanofiber sensor. With its excellent performance and scalable production process, this randomly oriented, low-index polymer nanofiber sensor offers a promising new pathway for efficient surface-enhanced fluorescence based on multiple scattering. Furthermore, PVAc nanofibers can be extended to other low-index materials capable of forming randomly oriented nanostructures, offering significant potential for cost-effective, high-performance fluorescence sensor applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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13 pages, 4507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Mechanical–Electrochemical Dual-Model E-Skin for the Monitoring of Cardiovascular Healthcare

by Jianxiao Fang, Yunting Jia, Zelong Liao, Bairui Qi and Tao Huang

Biosensors 2025, 15(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15010005 - 26 Dec 2024

Viewed by 872

Abstract

The early monitoring of cardiovascular biomarkers is essential for the prevention and management of some cardiovascular diseases. Here, we present a novel, compact, and highly integrated skin electrode as a mechanical–electrochemical dual-model E-skin, designed for the real-time monitoring of heart rate and sweat ion concentration, two critical parameters for assessing cardiovascular health. As a pressure sensor, this E-skin is suitable for accurate heart rate monitoring, as it exhibits high sensitivity (25.2 pF·kPa⁻¹), a low detection limit of 6 Pa, and a rapid response time of ~20 ms, which is attributed to the iontronic sensing interface between the skin and the electrode. Additionally, the electrode functions as a potassium ion-selective electrode based on chemical doping, achieving an enhanced response of 11 mV·mM⁻¹. A test based on the real-time monitoring of a subject riding an indoor bike demonstrated the device’s capability to monitor heart rate and sweat potassium ion levels reliably and accurately. This advancement in wearable technology offers significant potential for enhancing patient care based on the early detection and proactive management of cardiovascular conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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11 pages, 2157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wearable Fabric System for Sarcopenia Detection

by Zhenhe Huang, Qiuqian Ou, Dan Li, Yuanyi Feng, Liangling Cai, Yue Hu and Hongwei Chu

Biosensors 2024, 14(12), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14120622 - 18 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1063

Abstract

Sarcopenia has been a serious concern in the context of an increasingly aging global population. Existing detection methods for sarcopenia are severely constrained by cumbersome devices, the necessity for specialized personnel, and controlled experimental environments. In this study, we developed an innovative wearable fabric system based on conductive fabric and flexible sensor array. This fabric system demonstrates remarkable pressure-sensing capabilities, with a high sensitivity of 18.8 kPa⁻¹ and extraordinary stability. It also exhibits excellent flexibility for wearable applications. By interacting with different parts of the human body, it facilitates the monitoring of various physiological activities, such as pulse dynamics, finger movements, speaking, and ambulation. Moreover, this fabric system can be seamlessly integrated into sole to track critical indicators of sarcopenia patients, such as walking speed and gait. Clinical evaluations have shown that this fabric system can effectively detect variations in indicators relevant to sarcopenia patients, proving that it offers a straightforward and promising approach for the diagnosis and assessment of sarcopenia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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13 pages, 1387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Continuous Estimation of Blood Pressure by Utilizing Seismocardiogram Signal Features in Relation to Electrocardiogram

by Aleksandra Zienkiewicz, Vesa Korhonen, Vesa Kiviniemi and Teemu Myllylä

Biosensors 2024, 14(12), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14120621 - 17 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 842

Abstract

There is an ongoing search for a reliable and continuous method of noninvasive blood pressure (BP) tracking. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of utilizing seismocardiogram (SCG) signals, i.e., chest motion caused by cardiac activity, for this purpose. This research is novel in examining the temporal relationship between the SCG-measured isovolumic moment and the electrocardiogram (PEP_IM). Additionally, we compare these results with the traditionally measured pre-ejection period with the aortic opening marked as an endpoint (PEP_AO). The accuracy of the BP estimation was evaluated beat to beat against invasively measured arterial BP. Data were collected on separate days as eighteen sets from nine subjects undergoing a medical procedure with anesthesia. Results for PEP_IM showed a correlation of 0.67 ± 0.18 (p < 0.001), 0.66 ± 0.17 (p < 0.001), and 0.67 ± 0.17 (p < 0.001) when compared to systolic BP, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure (MAP), respectively. Corresponding results for PEP_AO were equal to 0.61 ± 0.22 (p < 0.001), 0.61 ± 0.21 (p < 0.001), and 0.62 ± 0.22 (p < 0.001). Values of PEP_IM were used to estimate MAP using two first-degree models, the linear regression model (achieved RMSE of 11.7 ± 4.0 mmHg) and extended model with HR (RMSE of 10.8 ± 4.2 mmHg), and two corresponding second-degree models (RMSE of 10.8 ± 3.7 mmHg and RMSE of 8.5 ± 3.4 mmHg for second-degree polynomial and second-degree extended, respectively). In the intrasubject testing of the second-degree model extended with HR based on PEP_IM values, the mean error of MAP estimation in three follow-up measurements was in the range of 7.5 to 10.5 mmHg, without recalibration. This study demonstrates the method’s potential for further research, particularly given that both proximal and distal pulses are measured in close proximity to the heart and cardiac output. This positioning may enhance the method’s capacity to more accurately reflect central blood pressure compared to peripheral measurements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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19 pages, 3997 KiB

Open AccessArticle

P300 Latency with Memory Performance: A Promising Biomarker for Preclinical Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease

by Manal Mohamed, Nourelhuda Mohamed and Jae Gwan Kim

Biosensors 2024, 14(12), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14120616 - 15 Dec 2024

Viewed by 4187

Abstract

Detecting and tracking the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is now of particular interest due to the aging of the world’s population. AD is the most common cause of dementia, affecting the daily lives of those afflicted. Approaches in development can accelerate the evaluation of the preclinical stages of AD and facilitate early treatment and the prevention of symptom progression. Shifts in P300 amplitude and latency, together with neuropsychological assessments, could serve as biomarkers in the early screening of declines in cognitive abilities. In this study, we investigated the ability of the P300 indices evoked during a visual oddball task to differentiate pre-clinically diagnosed participants from normal healthy adults (HCs). Two preclinical stages, named asymptomatic AD (AAD) and prodromal AD (PAD), were included in this study, and a total of 79 subjects participated, including 35 HCs, 22 AAD patients, and 22 PAD patients. A mixed-design ANOVA test was performed to compare the P300 indices among groups during the processing of the target and non-target stimuli. Additionally, the correlation between these neurophysiological variables and the neuropsychological tests was evaluated. Our results revealed that neither the peak amplitude nor latency of P300 can distinguish AAD from HCs. Conversely, the peak latency of P300 can be used as a biomarker to differentiate PAD from AAD and HCs. The correlation results revealed a significant relationship between the peak latency of P300 and memory domain tasks, showing that less time-demanding neuropsychological assessments can be used. In summary, our findings showed that a combination of P300 latency and memory-requiring tasks can be used as an efficient biomarker to differentiate individuals with AAD from HCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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12 pages, 3669 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Distinguishing of Histopathological Staging Features of H-E Stained Human cSCC by Microscopical Multispectral Imaging

by Rujuan Wu, Jiayi Yang, Qi Chen, Changxing Yang, Qianqian Ge, Danni Rui, Huazhong Xiang, Dawei Zhang, Cheng Wang and Xiaoqing Zhao

Biosensors 2024, 14(10), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14100467 - 29 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1214

Abstract

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common malignant skin tumor. Early and precise diagnosis of tumor staging is crucial for long-term outcomes. While pathological diagnosis has traditionally served as the gold standard, the assessment of differentiation levels heavily depends on subjective judgments. Therefore, how to improve the diagnosis accuracy and objectivity of pathologists has become an urgent problem to be solved. We used multispectral imaging (MSI) to enhance tumor classification. The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained cSCC slides were from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. Scale-invariant feature transform was applied to multispectral images for image stitching, while the adaptive threshold segmentation method and random forest segmentation method were used for image segmentation, respectively. Synthetic pseudo-color images effectively highlight tissue differences. Quantitative analysis confirms significant variation in the nuclear area between normal and cSCC tissues (p < 0.001), supported by an AUC of 1 in ROC analysis. The AUC within cSCC tissues is 0.57. Further study shows higher nuclear atypia in poorly differentiated cSCC tissues compared to well-differentiated cSCC (p < 0.001), also with an AUC of 1. Lastly, well differentiated cSCC tissues show more and larger keratin pearls. These results have shown that combined MSI with imaging processing techniques will improve H&E stained human cSCC diagnosis accuracy, and it will be well utilized to distinguish histopathological staging features. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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Review

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34 pages, 2136 KiB

Open AccessReview

Sensors and Devices Based on Electrochemical Skin Conductance and Bioimpedance Measurements for the Screening of Diabetic Foot Syndrome: Review and Meta-Analysis

by Federica Verdini, Alessandro Mengarelli, Gaetano Chemello, Benedetta Salvatori, Micaela Morettini, Christian Göbl and Andrea Tura

Biosensors 2025, 15(2), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15020073 - 26 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1255

Abstract

Diabetic foot syndrome is a multifactorial disease involving different etiological factors. This syndrome is also insidious, due to frequent lack of early symptoms, and its prevalence has increased in recent years. This justifies the remarkable attention being paid to the syndrome, although the problem of effective early screening for this syndrome, possibly at a patient’s home, is still unsolved. However, some options appear available in this context. First, it was demonstrated that the temperature measurement of the foot skin is an interesting approach, but it also has some limitations, and hence a more effective approach should combine data from temperature and from other sensors. For this purpose, foot skin conductance or bioimpedance measurement may be a good option. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review those studies where skin conductance/bioimpedance measurement was used for the detection of diabetic foot syndrome. In addition, we performed a meta-analysis of some of those studies, where a widely used device was exploited (SUDOSCAN^®) for foot skin conductance measurement, and we found that skin conductance levels can clearly distinguish between groups of patients with and without diabetic neuropathy, the latter being one of the most relevant factors in diabetic foot syndrome. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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28 pages, 7558 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrocatalysis in MOF Films for Flexible Electrochemical Sensing: A Comprehensive Review

by Suyuan Zhang, Min Wang, Xusheng Wang, Jun Song and Xue Yang

Biosensors 2024, 14(9), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14090420 - 28 Aug 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2315

Abstract

Flexible electrochemical sensors can adhere to any bendable surface with conformal contact, enabling continuous data monitoring without compromising the surface’s dynamics. Among various materials that have been explored for flexible electronics, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit dynamic responses to physical and chemical signals, offering new opportunities for flexible electrochemical sensing technologies. This review aims to explore the role of electrocatalysis in MOF films specifically designed for flexible electrochemical sensing applications, with a focus on their design, fabrication techniques, and applications. We systematically categorize the design and fabrication techniques used in preparing MOF films, including in situ growth, layer-by-layer assembly, and polymer-assisted strategies. The implications of MOF-based flexible electrochemical sensors are examined in the context of wearable devices, environmental monitoring, and healthcare diagnostics. Future research is anticipated to shift from traditional microcrystalline powder synthesis to MOF thin-film deposition, which is expected to not only enhance the performance of MOFs in flexible electronics but also improve sensing efficiency and reliability, paving the way for more robust and versatile sensor technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Bioelectronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Disease Diagnosis)

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