Flexible optical waveguides for health: a review of the current status and technological perspectives

In response to the increasing demand for the prevention and control of chronic non-communicable diseases, people are paying more and more attention to the application of flexible optical waveguides in health assistance, and the specific functions of flexible optical waveguides are gradually enriched in the process. This review systematically explains the research progress of flexible optical waveguides in human health assistance. An analysis of the sensing principles used in flexible optical waveguides for signal sensing is provided. The specific applications of flexible optical waveguides in human health assistance are categorized into three main areas: invasive biomedical diagnosis and therapy, contact physiological information monitoring, and interactive soft robots. From the perspective of material science, comprehensively analyze commonly used materials and their properties for flexible optical waveguides used in human health assistance. An analysis of the sensing principles used in flexible optical waveguides for signal sensing and the specific applications of flexible optical waveguides provided, aiming to provide theoretical support and technological innovation direction for the construction of a new generation of intelligent health monitoring systems. The unique advantages of flexible optical waveguides in sensing, especially in human physiological signal sensing, through detailed theoretical analyses are demonstrated. The specific applications of flexible optical waveguides in human health assistance are summarized under each category. Finally, this review proposes evolution paths for flexible optical waveguides by addressing current bottlenecks through material innovation (e.g., hybrids, metasurfaces), functional enhancement (e.g., self-powered sensing), and system integration (e.g., miniaturization, IoT platforms).