Real-Time Monitoring of Drug Levels in the Human Body Using Biosensors: (Review Artical)
Abstract
Background: A biosensor is a device that combines a recep-tor and a transducer to transform a biological reaction into an electrical signal. In the last decade, the design and development of biosensors have been a focal point for researchers and sci-entists due to their diverse variety of applications. These appli-cations include healthcare and illness detection, environmental monitoring, water and food quality monitoring, and medication delivery. The primary obstacles in the advancement of biosen-sors include: (i) Effectively capturing biorecognition signals and converting them into electrochemical, electrical, optical, gravimetric, or acoustic signals (transduction process), (ii) Im-proving transducer performance by enhancing sensitivity, re-ducing response time, ensuring reproducibility, and achieving low detection limits, even for individual molecules, and (iii) miniaturizing biosensing devices through the utilization of mi-cro- and nano-fabrication technologies. Aim: This review provides an overview of the develop-ment of biosensors, categorizing them based on their receptors, transducers, and the use of nanomaterials such as noble metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, nanowires, nanorods, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, and dendrimers. It also dis-cusses the recent advancements in biosensing technology re-sulting from the integration of nanotechnology. Methods: The review surveyed the literature on the use of nanomaterials in the development of biosensors was reviewed. Results: Different nanomaterials have been used as sens-ing and transduction elements in biosensors, each with unique advantages such as high stability and carrying capacity, high detection sensitivity, large surface area and high electrical and thermal conductivity, and the ability to tune color. Conclusion: The integration of nanotechnology into bio-
sensors has led to significant progress in this technology, pro-viding solutions to the major obstacles in this field.