Optofluidic biosensing: Devices, strategies, and applications

Optofluidics is an interdisciplinary domain merging optics and microfluidics and has driven significant progress in the development of small-scale, high-performance optical biosensors, aiming at the final concept of lab-on-chip. The successful development of these outcomes requires overcoming challenges related to the effective integration of optics, microfluidics, and biorecognition elements at a micron-scale level. The opportunities offered by optofluidics, including efficient liquid handling and strong light-matter interaction, have inspired the creation of many optofluidic biosensors with high performance and versatile applications, ranging from single molecule detection up to cell analysis. The review presents and critically analyzes various biosensors schemes and their related fabrication techniques. Different integration strategies with microfluidics and bioassays are examined for their impact on device performance and feasibility. Finally, the manuscript discusses the open challenges and future trends in this field, pointing towards the ongoing evolution of optofluidic biosensors as a promising area of research and application.