Biomedical applications of optical fibre sensors: a review (2018–2025)

Abstract

Optical fibre sensors (OFS) have advanced substantially in recent years, progressing from predominantly laboratory-based prototypes to promising tools for real-world biomedical applications. Their growing integration into healthcare systems highlights the value of OFS for continuous physiological monitoring, early disease detection, and therapy guidance. Key application domains include the measurement of physical parameters (e.g. pressure, strain, temperature) and biological targets (e.g. proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids), and chemical analytes (e.g. pH, drugs, gases). Instead of focusing only on sensor design and theoretical concepts, this review highlights the clinical translation of OFS technologies and their readiness for real-world use. The paper also discusses new trends in medical OFS, including personalised and decentralised monitoring and data-driven clinical decision-making. Finally, this review outlines the main challenges to clinical adoption and suggests future directions for the wider use of OFS in biomedical sensing.