Sensors 2015, 15, 25208-25259; doi:10.3390/s151025208 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors Review Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Fiber-Optic Bio-Sensors Marie Pospíšilová 1, Gabriela Kuncová 2 and Josef Trögl 3,* 1 Czech Technical University, Faculty of Biomedical Engeneering, Nám. Sítná 3105, 27201 Kladno, Czech Republic; E-Mail:
[email protected] 2 Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, ASCR, Rozvojová 135, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; E-Mail:
[email protected] 3 Faculty of Environment, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Králova Výšina 3132/7, 40096 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +420-475-284-153. Academic Editor: Stefano Mariani Received: 26 July 2015 / Accepted: 14 September 2015 / Published: 30 September 2015 Abstract: This review summarizes principles and current stage of development of fiber-optic chemical sensors (FOCS) and biosensors (FOBS). Fiber optic sensor (FOS) systems use the ability of optical fibers (OF) to guide the light in the spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) (180 nm) up to middle infrared (IR) (10 µm) and modulation of guided light by the parameters of the surrounding environment of the OF core. The introduction of OF in the sensor systems has brought advantages such as measurement in flammable and explosive environments, immunity to electrical noises, miniaturization, geometrical flexibility, measurement of small sample volumes, remote sensing in inaccessible sites or harsh environments and multi-sensing. The review comprises briefly the theory of OF elaborated for sensors, techniques of fabrications and analytical results reached with fiber-optic chemical and biological sensors.