Engineering Hydrogel‐Based Biomedical Photonics: Design, Fabrication, and Applications. Issue 23 (30th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guimarães, Carlos F.; Ahmed, Rajib; Marques, Alexandra P.; Reis, Rui L.; Demirci, Utkan
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials. Volume 33:Issue 23(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-04-30
• Subjects: 3D printing -- hydrogel photonics -- light‐driven robots -- multi‐responsive hydrogels -- optical sensing -- organ‐on‐chip -- photomedicine; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202006582
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0935-9648

Abstract

Abstract: Light guiding and manipulation in photonics have become ubiquitous in events ranging from everyday communications to complex robotics and nanomedicine. The speed and sensitivity of light–matter interactions offer unprecedented advantages in biomedical optics, data transmission, photomedicine, and detection of multi‐scale phenomena. Recently, hydrogels have emerged as a promising candidate for interfacing photonics and bioengineering by combining their light‐guiding properties with live tissue compatibility in optical, chemical, physiological, and mechanical dimensions. Herein, the latest progress over hydrogel photonics and its applications in guidance and manipulation of light is reviewed. Physics of guiding light through hydrogels and living tissues, and existing technical challenges in translating these tools into biomedical settings are discussed. A comprehensive and thorough overview of materials, fabrication protocols, and design architectures used in hydrogel photonics is provided. Finally, recent examples of applying structures such as hydrogel optical fibers, living photonic constructs, and their use as light‐driven hydrogel robots, photomedicine tools, and organ‐on‐a‐chip models are described. By providing a critical and selective evaluation of the field's status, this work sets a foundation for the next generation of hydrogel photonic research. Abstract : The current panorama of hydrogel‐based photonics and advances in fabrication techniques toward functional optical architectures are reviewed, evaluating their capabilities in the biomedical field. Further, the future potential for hydrogel photonic constructs to integrate into live tissues, advanced biosensing platforms, microrobotics, photomedicine, and lab‐on‐chip technologies are discussed.