This book is intended to form a useful but limited introduction to biomedical sensing based on optical or photonic techniques. In eight comprehensive and well-illustrated chapters, the contributors describe the theory and the construction of optical sensor platforms: photonic crystals, metamaterials, optical fibers, plasmonic wave guides, surface plasmon resonance, multimode spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and also soft lithography and paper-based sensors.
Lacking, however, are real-world quantitative comparisons of the signal-to-noise ratios, sensitivity and specificity across these platforms for various biomolecules in blood. The attachment of specific molecules to the sensors leads to specificity, but validation of the sensors in blood is not demonstrated. How do the innovative yet inchoate sensor platforms described compare with current sensor devices approved for clinical use? The references cited are predominately older than six years.
Review by Barry R. Masters, Fellow of AAAS, OSA, and SPIE.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.