9. Quartz Crystal Resonator for Real-Time Characterization of Nanoscale Phenomena Relevant for Biomedical Applications

Thickness Shear Mode (TSM) sensors and, in particular, Quartz Crystal Resonator (QCR) sensors are very efficient systems because of their elevated accuracy, sensitivity, and biofunctionalization capacity. They are highly reliable when measuring deposited samples, both for gaseous and liquid media. Moreover, they can be used for real time monitoring and their manufacturing cost is relatively low. These characteristics explain the many possible applications of QCR sensors as biosensors. In this chapter, recent remarkable applications of QCRs in different contexts are described. Applications of these sensors range from medical an environmental monitoring applications, to mixed applications with other techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) or electrochemical in order to improve the sensor system response.