Table 1.

Comparison of different methods for the manipulation and separation of microparticles and biological cells.

Technique	Working Mechanism		Advantage	Limitations	Refs.
Acoustic	Acoustic radiation pressure transfers momentum from an acoustic wave to a particle		Large number of particles can be processed at the same time with high efficiency, wide operating range in the channel space, contactless operation, wide versatility, good biocompatibility, high precision, adjustable control, and flexible function	Relatively high equipment cost, need for frequency-specific acoustic sources, need for precise control of acoustic sources and microfluidic structures, design complexity, induced thermal energy increases temperature, relatively low throughput, problems associated with wavelength and diffraction	Zhang et al. [21], Gao et al. [22], Friend et al. [23]
Electrical	Electrphoresis (EP)	The electrophoretic force drives charged particles to move in the direction of the electric field	Suitable for rapid separation of charged particles, low voltage is sufficient for operation, simple equipment, easy to build and control, low cost	Limited to charged particles, the electric field conditions need to be optimized to avoid particle aggregation	Lomeli-Martin et al. [24], Zhang et al. [25]
	Dielectrophoresis (DEP)	Interactions involving the electrical polarization of particles and a non-uniform electrical field	Highly selective and sensitive to the electrical properties of particles, manipulating neutral particles, precise operation, label-free, real-time control, automated, microfluidic, and electronic compatible	Requires frequency-specific voltages, sophisticated electrode design, and complexelectric field control, higher cost, joule heat effect, low, and side effects affecting cell viability	Zhang et al. [26], Li et al. [27], Encinas [28], Kim et al. [29]
Magnetica	Homogeneous/inhomogeneous magnetic field		Magnetic particles can be manipulated for specific applications, high purity, highly specific cell separation based on magnetic labeling, or label-free cell manipulation based on negative magnetic electrophoresis	High cost of equipment, requires specific types of magnetic particles, additional cost of magnetic markers and magnetic fluids, relatively low throughput	Hejazian et al. [30], Giouroudi et al. [31], Pamme [32]
Optical	Manipulation of particles by radiation pressure exerted by a focused laser beam		Non-contact operation for precise manipulation of individual particles and high efficiency	Requires expensive laser systems and precision optical components with high alignment requirements, high equipment costs, may be damaging to particles, and requires complex optical system design	Gong et al. [33], Xie et al. [34]