Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Paiva, Joana S.
• Jorge, Pedro A.S.
• Rosa, Carla C.
• Cunha, João P.S.

Titel

Optical fiber tips for biological applications: From light confinement, biosensing to bioparticles manipulation

Ist Teil von

• Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects, 2018-05, Vol.1862 (5), p.1209-1246

Ort / Verlag

Netherlands: Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2018

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The tip of an optical fiber has been considered an attractive platform in Biology. The simple cleaved end of an optical fiber can be machined, patterned and/or functionalized, acquiring unique properties enabling the exploitation of novel optical phenomena. Prompted by the constant need to measure and manipulate nanoparticles, the invention of the Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (SNOM) triggered the optimization and development of novel fiber tip microfabrication methods. In fact, the fiber tip was soon considered a key element in SNOM by confining light to sufficiently small extensions, challenging the diffraction limit. As result and in consequence of the newly proposed “Lab On Tip” concept, several geometries of fiber tips were applied in three main fields: imaging (in Microscopy/Spectroscopy), biosensors and micromanipulation (Optical Fiber Tweezers, OFTs). These are able to exert forces on microparticles, trap and manipulate them for relevant applications, as biomolecules mechanical study or protein aggregates unfolding. This review presents an overview of the main achievements, most impactful studies and limitations of fiber tip-based configurations within the above three fields, along the past 10 years. OFTs could be in future a valuable tool for studying several cellular phenomena such as neurodegeneration caused by abnormal protein fibrils or manipulating organelles within cells. This could contribute to understand the mechanisms of some diseases or biophenomena, as the axonal growth in neurons. To the best of our knowledge, no other review article has so far provided such a broad view. Despite of the limitations, fiber tips have key roles in Biology/Medicine. •This document reviews the main properties of optical fiber tips and their application in Biology including imaging, biosensing and particles manipulation.•The evolution of optical fiber tips fabrication methods, geometries and light focusing properties since SNOM invention is broadly discussed.•Descriptive tables comparing significant advances through the last 10 years in imaging, biosensing and bioparticles manipulation are provided.•OFTs based on the tip of optical fiber geometries hold a very high potential for Biology applications and need further research.•The development of a miniaturized device to simultaneously guide light, sense, trap and manipulate particles could be possible in a near future.