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SM Journal of Biomedical Engineering

Microfluidics for Single Cell Mechanical Characterization: A Review

[ ISSN : 2573-3702 ]

Abstract
Details

Received: 30-Jan-2017

Accepted: 02-Mar-2017

Published: 08-Mar-2017

Review Article | Volume 3 - Issue 2 | Article DOI :

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Ravetto A¹, Anderson PDA²,³, Bouten CVC¹,³, and den Toonder JMJ²,³*

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
²Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
³Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

Corresponding Author:

den Toonder JMJ, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Tel: +31 40-247 5706; Email: J.M.J.d.Toonder@tue.nl

Keywords

Cell mechanics; Microfluidics; Diagnostics; Cell analysis; Disease screening

Abstract

Mechanical characterization of cells may be used to distinguish and to select certain types of cells and, more importantly, to discriminate between healthy and diseased cells. This means that mechanical properties of cells could be used as markers to screen and diagnose for diseases like cancer, malaria, and cardiovascular diseases, without the need for biochemical assaying. Conventional cell mechanical characterization methods are not suitable for practical clinical application since they are tedious and have a low throughput. Microfluidic technology holds great promise to realize single cell mechanical characterization devices that are suitable for clinical use. In recent years, many devices based on different microfluidic principles for characterizing cell mechanical properties have been introduced in the literature and science has developed up to a point at which the next steps must be taken to enable the actual translation into the clinic. In this paper, we review the different methods discussing advantages and disadvantages, and we conclude on the major challenges that need to be tackled next to enable the translation towards clinical application.

Citation

Ravetto A, Anderson PDA, Bouten CVC and den Toonder JMJ. Microfluidics for Single Cell Mechanical Characterization: A Review. SM J Biomed Eng. 2017; 3(2): 1016.