8.7.1 Electromagnetic Sensors

Electromagnetic sensors are non-destructive and used in disease monitoring and biomarker

analysis. Biological tissues possess specific dielectric properties and electromagnetic ma­

terials interact with biological tissues to generate the response. Electromagnetic materials

are classified into diamagnetic, ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic, and

paramagnetic. Electromagnetic sensors are designed to identify and monitor the physio­

logical changes in normal cells/tissues and diseased cells/tissues or act as therapeutic tools

for the affected tissues [35,36]. Detection of disease-specific molecular targets is significant

for understanding the physiological and biological functions in disease diagnosis and

prognosis. Nano-based magnetic materials are used in analytical sensing and biomedicine

fields due to modular structure, low toxicity, enzyme mimicking activity, supramagnetic

behavior, and biocompatibility [37].

In cardiovascular patients, point of care testing of coagulation protein and monitoring

of anti-coagulation protein is required during the intensive care before surgery. The

coagulation process in cardiovascular disease (CVD) requires analysis of 12 factors done

by wet chemical method for reflecting the platelet functions of coagulation-related dis­

orders. In electromagnetic induction, the elastic sensor probe is utilized for detecting

biological analytes. In a study, the coagulation process was analyzed in blood by the

electromagnetic sensor. The sensor detected changes in blood viscosity and density before

and after coagulation based on the damped vibration principle. The as-synthesized

FIGURE 8.4

Electrochemical-based sensing of DNA methyltransferase (MTase) as a biomarker of monocytic leukemia.

Adapted with permission [ 32], Copyright (2011), Elsevier.

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