摘要
Thermal lens microscopy (TLM) utilizes the effects, such as changes in the refractive index, caused by heat generated in the sample for the detection of nonfluorescent analytes with at least a hundred-fold enhancement in sensitivity compared with optical absorbance spectrometry. Micro-/nanofluidic devices can provide specificity and sample manipulation capabilities. The integration of these two technologies exposes the potential to attain the holy grail of continuous, real-time, label-free, specific, and ultrasensitive detection, which find applications in environmental monitoring, quality control of chemical manufacturing, single-cell analysis, and biomedicines. Here, we summarize the recent advances in the instrument development and innovative applications, and suggest future directions of research of TLM.