Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A Review

The awareness of the importance of monitoring human vital signs has increased recently due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-invasive heart rate monitoring devices, in particular, have become some of the most popular tools for health monitoring. However, heart rate data alone are not eno...

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Main Authors: Jing Wen Chew, Soon Xin Gan, Jingxian Cui, Wen Di Chan, Sai T. Chu, Hwa-Yaw Tam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Photonics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/7/662
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author Jing Wen Chew
Soon Xin Gan
Jingxian Cui
Wen Di Chan
Sai T. Chu
Hwa-Yaw Tam
author_facet Jing Wen Chew
Soon Xin Gan
Jingxian Cui
Wen Di Chan
Sai T. Chu
Hwa-Yaw Tam
author_sort Jing Wen Chew
collection DOAJ
description The awareness of the importance of monitoring human vital signs has increased recently due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-invasive heart rate monitoring devices, in particular, have become some of the most popular tools for health monitoring. However, heart rate data alone are not enough to reflect the health of one’s cardiovascular function or arterial health. This growing interest has spurred research into developing high-fidelity non-invasive pulse waveform sensors. These sensors can provide valuable information such as data on blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and vascular aging from the pulse waveform. Among these sensors, optical fiber sensors (OFSs) stand out due to their remarkable properties, including resistance to electromagnetic interference, capability in monitoring multiple vital signals simultaneously, and biocompatibility. This paper reviews the latest advancements in using OFSs to measure human vital signs, with a focus on pulse waveform analysis. The various working mechanisms of OFSs and their performances in measuring the pulse waveform are discussed. In addition, we also address the challenges faced by OFSs in pulse waveform monitoring and explore the opportunities for future development. This technology shows great potential for both clinical and personal non-invasive pulse waveform monitoring applications.
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spelling doaj-art-bd4e6abef5434132a82162ebfe7a0c882025-08-20T03:32:18ZengMDPI AGPhotonics2304-67322025-06-0112766210.3390/photonics12070662Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A ReviewJing Wen Chew0Soon Xin Gan1Jingxian Cui2Wen Di Chan3Sai T. Chu4Hwa-Yaw Tam5Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaPhotonics Research Institute, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaPhotonics Research Institute, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaPhotonics Research Institute, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaThe awareness of the importance of monitoring human vital signs has increased recently due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-invasive heart rate monitoring devices, in particular, have become some of the most popular tools for health monitoring. However, heart rate data alone are not enough to reflect the health of one’s cardiovascular function or arterial health. This growing interest has spurred research into developing high-fidelity non-invasive pulse waveform sensors. These sensors can provide valuable information such as data on blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and vascular aging from the pulse waveform. Among these sensors, optical fiber sensors (OFSs) stand out due to their remarkable properties, including resistance to electromagnetic interference, capability in monitoring multiple vital signals simultaneously, and biocompatibility. This paper reviews the latest advancements in using OFSs to measure human vital signs, with a focus on pulse waveform analysis. The various working mechanisms of OFSs and their performances in measuring the pulse waveform are discussed. In addition, we also address the challenges faced by OFSs in pulse waveform monitoring and explore the opportunities for future development. This technology shows great potential for both clinical and personal non-invasive pulse waveform monitoring applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/7/662optical fiber sensorvital sign monitoringarterial pulse wavepulse waveform monitoringnon-invasive biomedical sensor
spellingShingle Jing Wen Chew
Soon Xin Gan
Jingxian Cui
Wen Di Chan
Sai T. Chu
Hwa-Yaw Tam
Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A Review
Photonics
optical fiber sensor
vital sign monitoring
arterial pulse wave
pulse waveform monitoring
non-invasive biomedical sensor
title Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A Review
title_full Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A Review
title_fullStr Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A Review
title_full_unstemmed Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A Review
title_short Recent Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensors for Non-Invasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring Applications: A Review
title_sort recent advancements in optical fiber sensors for non invasive arterial pulse waveform monitoring applications a review
topic optical fiber sensor
vital sign monitoring
arterial pulse wave
pulse waveform monitoring
non-invasive biomedical sensor
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/7/662
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