Interferometric Optical Fiber Biosensor for Label-Free Detection of Breast and Colon Cancer Cells
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Cancer biomarkers play a pivotal role in metastasis and cancer progression; therefore, early cancer biomarkers detection provides valuable information for physicians for predictive and prognostic purposes. Detection and quantification of a whole cell remain challenging due to its scarcity and most of the previous works were focused on protein biomarkers detection. In this work, interferometer-based optical fiber biosensor for detection of breast and colon cancer cells was reported. The proposed sensor is low-cost and easy to fabricate, acting as a weak interferometer and able to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells. The detection principle is based on the local refractive index variation of the surrounding media near the sensor tip and based on the CD44 expression level of cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The limit of detection (LoD) of the proposed sensor was approximately 50 cells/mL and achieved a sensitivity of 1.0 dB/10x. This work could be the basis for developing microfluidic platforms and multiplexed detection of circulating cancer cells and a crucial step towards clinical application.
Language: English
Topic: Advanced Fiber Optic Sensors
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7215110532