Journal profile · Optics
Journal of Biomedical Optics
ISSN 1083-3668 · eISSN 1560-2281 · SPIE · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1996
Journal of Biomedical Optics: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.27; fully open access; APC about USD 1,675; median 118 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 197 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Biomedical Optics is published by SPIE and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques, Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic Imaging and Optical Coherence Tomography Applications, together about 47.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Biomedical Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Biomedical Optics publishes peer-reviewed papers on the use of modern optical technology for improved health care and biomedical research.
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): Optics
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy TechniquesMedicine18.2%
- Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic ImagingEngineering17.4%
- Optical Coherence Tomography ApplicationsEngineering11.7%
- Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy TechniquesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.3%
- Spectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.2%
- Photodynamic Therapy Research StudiesMedicine3.9%
- Non-Invasive Vital Sign MonitoringEngineering3.5%
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranosticsEngineering3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.27LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.76LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.47LetPub ·
- h-index
- 123LetPub ·
- h-index
- 184OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,657OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.53OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 191LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 7,850 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 129 | 129 | 51 |
| 2025 | 197 | 197 | 407 |
| 2024 | 209 | 209 | 1,432 |
| 2023 | 187 | 187 | 1,935 |
| 2022 | 174 | 174 | 2,378 |
| 2021 | 175 | 175 | 3,623 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
118 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 89 days – 147 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 27 days (106 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 154 days
- Sample
- 106 articles with submission and acceptance dates (353 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 1 monthLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 19 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 1,675 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,675 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,675 | Yes | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- SPIE
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1996
- ISSN
- 1083-3668
- Electronic ISSN
- 1560-2281
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Biomedical Optics
What CAS zone is Journal of Biomedical Optics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Biomedical Optics is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Biochemical Research Methods / Optics / Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Biomedical Optics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.27; CiteScore 5.9, h-index 184.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Biomedical Optics?
Based on the dates recorded on 106 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 118 days (interquartile range 89–147 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index Journal of Biomedical Optics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Biomedical Optics is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Journal of Biomedical Optics open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Biomedical Optics is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,675.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .