The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is an important tool widely used for studying binding kinetics between biomolecular species. The SPR approach offers unique advantages in light of its real-time and label-free sensing capabilities. Until now, nearly all established SPR instrumentation schemes are based on single- or several-channel configurations. With the emergence of drug screening and investigation of biomolecular interactions on a massive scale these days for finding more effective treatments of diseases, there is a growing demand for the development of high-throughput 2-D SPR sensor arrays based on imaging. The so-called SPR imaging (SPRi) approach has been explored intensively in recent years. This review aims to provide an up-to-date and concise summary of recent advances in SPRi. The specific focuses are on practical instrumentation designs and their respective biosensing applications in relation to molecular sensing, healthcare testing, and environmental screening.
Keywords: SPR imaging; biosensing; optical design; point-of-care sensor; surface plasmon resonance.