Table 1.

Comparison of microfluidic methods for measuring cell mechanics.

Method	Types of cell	Readout	Strain rate, ε (kHz)	Stres s, σ (kPa)	Force sensitivity	Throughput
Atomic force microscopy	Adherent cells	Elastic and viscoelastic response of a local region or whole cell	10−5 – 10−2		pN - μN	1-10 cells / hour
Micropipette Aspiration	Non-adherent or adherent cells	Elastic and viscoelastic response of a local region or whole cell	10−5 – 10−3		pN - nN	1-10 cells / hour
Particle-Tracking Rheology	Adherent cells	Elastic and viscoelastic response of a local region			pN	10-100 cells / hour
Magnetic-Twisting Rheology	Adherent cells	Membrane /surface elasticity	10−3 – 10−1		pN - nN	1000 cells / hour
Optical Tweezers / Traps	Adherent or non-adherent cells	Elastic and viscoelastic response of a local region, or whole cell deformability	10−3 – 103		fN - pN	1-10 cells / hour
Suspended Microchannel Resonator	Suspended cells	The inverse of Passage time; Cell buoyant mass; Apparent elastic moduli	~the order of 10−2;	The order of 1	N.A.	1 cells / s
Real-Time Deformability Cytometry	Suspended cells	1-Circularity; Young’s moduli; Viscosity	~the order of 0.1	The order of 1	N.A.	100 cells / s
Deformability cytometry	Suspended cells	Aspect ratio	the order of 10; can <2	~6	N.A.	1000 cells / s
2D traction force microscopy	Adherent cells	Matrix deformation	N.A.	N.A.	nN	10-1000 cells / hour
3D traction force microscopy	Embedded cells within 3D matrix	Matrix deformation	N.A.	N.A.	nN	1-100 cells / hour