Biosensors and their applications in healthcare

Abstract

Biosensor is a bio-analytical integrated device that uses a biological detection system to target molecules or macromolecules. Biosensors can provide specific quantitative and semi quantitative analytical information using biological recognition by coupling to a physiochemical transducer which converts this recognition into a detectable output signal.  The characteristic features of a biosensor are linearity, sensitivity, selectivity and response time. Biosensors have potential applications beginning with medical, pharma, environmental, biodefence and food & beverage and have now extensive applications in health care. Biosensors are involved in molecular diagnosis, crime detection, drug development, food analysis, industrial process control, environmental field monitoring, detection systems in biological warfare agents and in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and organ replacement. Biosensors have firmly established their applications in health care in the measurement of blood metabolites such as glucose, lactate, urea and creatinine, diabetes therapy, cardiovascular disease biomarkers and cancer biomarkers. This review mainly focuses on the recent advances and applications of biosensors in health care.