Recent advances and trends in mid-infrared chem/bio sensors

The Mid-Infrared (MIR) spectral regime has gained interest in biosensor research due to the unique excitation of specific molecular vibrational, rovibrational, and rotational modes of biomarkers and biological molecules, offering inherent selectivity for biomarker detection, which is a key asset for biomedical applications. This review focuses on the role of mid-infrared sensing technologies in biomedicine, emphasizing the crucial requirement for accurate detection and real-time monitoring of biological processes in early disease diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. Highlighted examples provide insight into the effectiveness of MIR optical biosensors for addressing key biomarkers, underscoring their potential impact in areas including but not limited to personalized medicine and clinical research. Furthermore, we discuss how recently designed and implemented microstructures enhance the sensitivity within these application scenarios. These advancements will be complemented by technical challenges inherent to this evolving field, addressing further sensitivity enhancement, device miniaturization, and system integration, along with advanced data analysis. Future strategies discussed in this review contextualize the convergence of MIR sensing, biomedicine, and the integration of artificial intelligence for comprehensive data analysis and interpretation.