Mid-Infrared Sensors in Clinical Practice: Tool or Dream?

Mid-infrared spectroscopy and sensor technology plays an increasingly important role in modern biodiagnostics, medical analysis, and clinical application scenarios. Will this lead to the evolution of mid-infrared photonics into an enabling tool, or does it stay a dream so see mid-infrared photonics in clinical practice? We will discuss applications ranging from non-invasive exhaled breath analysis to the in-vivo assessment of cartilage damage in the 3-20 μm spectral regime augmented by miniaturized FTIR systems, as well as quantum and interband cascade laser technology.