The clinical applications of sensing tools (i.e., biosensors) for the monitoring of physiologically important analytes are very common. Nowadays, the biosensors are being increasingly used to detect physiologically important analytes in real biological samples (i.e., blood, plasma, urine, and saliva). This review focuses on biosensors that can be applied to continuous, time-resolved measurements with fluorescence. The material presents the fluorescent biosensors for the detection of neurotransmitters, hormones, and other human metabolites as glucose, lactate or uric acid. The construction of microfluidic devices based on fluorescence uses a variety of materials, fluorescent dyes, types of detectors, excitation sources, optical filters, and geometrical systems. Due to their small size, these devices can perform a full analysis. Microfluidics-based technologies have shown promising applications in several of the main laboratory techniques, including blood chemistries, immunoassays, nucleic-acid amplification tests. Of the all technologies that are used to manufacture microfluidic systems, the LTCC technique seems to be an interesting alternative. It allows easy integration of electronic and microfluidic components on a single ceramic substrate. Moreover, the LTCC material is biologically and chemically inert, and is resistant to high temperature and pressure. The combination of all these features makes the LTCC technology particularly useful for implementation of fluorescence-based detection in the ceramic microfluidic systems.

An useful electrochemical sensing approach was developed for epinephrine (EP) detection based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and laccase modified glassy carbon electrodes (GC). The miniature GC biosensor was designed and constructed via the immobilization of laccase in an electroactive layer of the electrode coated with carbon nanoparticles. This sensing arrangement utilized the catalytic oxidation of EP to epinephrine quinone. The detection process was based on the oxidation of catecholamine in the presence of the enzyme – laccase. With the optimized conditions, the analytical performance demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity −2.9 μA mM−1 cm−2, selectivity in a broad linear range (1–120×10−6 M) with detection limit of 83 nM. Moreover, the method was successfully applied for EP determination in labeled pharmacological samples.

In this review we present polymeric materials for (bio)sensor technology development. We focused on conductive polymers (conjugated microporous polymer, polymer gels), composites, molecularly imprinted polymers and their influence on the design and fabrication of bio(sensors), which in the future could act as lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices. LOC instruments enable us to perform a wide range of analysis away from the stationary laboratory. Characterized polymeric species represent promising candidates in biosensor or sensor technology for LOC development, not only for manufacturing these devices, but also as a surface for biologically active materials’ immobilization. The presence of biological compounds can improve the sensitivity and selectivity of analytical tools, which in the case of medical diagnostics is extremely important. The described materials are biocompatible, cost-effective, flexible and are an excellent platform for the anchoring of specific compounds.

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GCE/poly-4,4′-bBT/tyrosinase biosensor for epinephrine was constructed. Comparison of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry was performed. DPV showed more reproducible results giving high selectivity, sensitivity, stability.

A novel fluorescence-sensing pathway for epinephrine (EP) detection was investigated. The ceramic-based miniature biosensor was developed through the immobilization of an enzyme (laccase, tyrosinase) on a polymer—poly-(2,6-di([2,2′-bithiophen]-5-yl)-4-(5-hexylthiophen-2-yl)pyridine), based on low temperature cofired ceramics technology (LTCC). The detection procedure was based on the oxidation of the substrate, i.e., in the presence of the enzyme. An alternative enzyme-free system utilized the formation of a colorful complex between Fe2+ ions and epinephrine molecules. With the optimized conditions, the analytical performance illustrated high sensitivity and selectivity in a broad linear range with a detection limit of 0.14–2.10 nM. Moreover, the strategy was successfully used for an EP injection test with labeled pharmacological samples.

Although neurotransmitters are present in human serum at the nM level, any dysfunction of the catecholamines concentration may lead to numerous serious health problems. Due to this fact, rapid and sensitive catecholamines detection is extremely important in modern medicine. However, there is no device that would measure the concentration of these compounds in body fluids. The main goal of the present study is to design a simple as possible, cost-effective new biosensor-based system for the detection of neurotransmitters, using nontoxic reagents. The miniature Au-E biosensor was designed and constructed through the immobilization of tyrosinase on an electroactive layer of cysteamine and carbon nanoparticles covering the gold electrode. This sensing arrangement utilized the catalytic oxidation of norepinephrine (NE) to NE quinone, measured with voltammetric techniques: cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The prepared bio-system exhibited good parameters: a broad linear range (1–200 μM), limit of detection equal to 196 nM, limit of quantification equal to 312 nM, and high selectivity and sensitivity. It is noteworthy that described method was successfully applied for NE determination in real samples.

Over the past two decades, both fundamental and applied research in conducting polymers have grown rapidly. Conducting polymers (CPs) are unique due to their ease of synthesis, environmental stability, and simple doping/dedoping chemistry. Electrically conductive silicone polymers are the current state-of-the-art for, e.g., optoelectronic materials. The combination of inorganic elements and organic polymers leads to a highly electrically conductive composite with improved thermal stability. Silicone-based materials have a set of extremely interesting properties, i.e., very low surface energy, excellent gas and moisture permeability, good heat stability, low-temperature flexibility, and biocompatibility. The most effective parameters constructing the physical properties of CPs are conjugation length, degree of crystallinity, and intra- and inter-chain interactions. Conducting polymers, owing to their ease of synthesis, remarkable environmental stability, and high conductivity in the doped form, have remained thoroughly studied due to their varied applications in fields like biological activity, drug release systems, rechargeable batteries, and sensors. For this reason, this review provides an overview of organosilicon polymers that have been reported over the past two decades.