Active microparticle manipulation: Recent advances

Abstract Microparticle manipulation is mainly needed in several applications like bioanalysis, disease diagnosis, self-cleaning surfaces, as well as drug delivery. The movement of microparticles in a microfluidic situation is actively manipulated by various adjustable mechanisms such as acoustophoresis, electrical forces, thermophoresis, magnetophoresis, as well as optical forces. Using such active manipulation mechanisms, the microparticle movements are obtained required to promote different biological processes. In this paper, we evaluate and deliberate the basic working principles of these microparticle manipulation methods such as the advantages and disadvantages of each method within microfluidic systems focusing on the uses in biomedical devices. These tools are realized and are potentially appropriate for therapeutic, diagnostic, or analytical purposes to present an overview of recent advances in microparticle manipulation for the reader. Finally, we offer viewpoints on the future development of active microparticle manipulation methods.