Manipulation of red blood cells (RBCs) in microscale has proven to play a pivotal role in various applications, such as disease diagnosis and drug delivery. Over the past decades, the capabilities of microscale manipulation techniques have evolved from simple particle manipulation to cells and organisms, with numerous microfluidic-based research tools being developed for RBC manipulation. This review first introduces the reported microscale manipulation techniques and their principles, including passive microfluidic methods based on microstructures and hydrodynamics, as well as active methods such as acoustic, optical, and electrical techniques. It then focuses on the application scenarios of these micro-scale manipulation methods for RBC manipulation, including the investigation of RBC mechanical properties, the preparation of RBC carriers, the control of RBC rotation, and RBC lysis. Finally, the future prospects of microscale techniques in RBC manipulation are discussed. This review offers a comprehensive comparison of various techniques, aiming to provide researchers from different fields with a broad perspective and to guide the continued development of microscale manipulation methods for RBC applications. It seeks to help researchers from diverse backgrounds stay informed about the latest trends and advancements in the field.
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Review Article|
May 13 2025
Recent advances in microscale techniques for red blood cells manipulation Available to Purchase
Huihui Xu
;
Huihui Xu
(Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing)
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
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Huijing Zhang;
Huijing Zhang
(Writing – review & editing)
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Tiechuan Li;
Tiechuan Li
a)
(Supervision, Writing – review & editing)
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
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Xuexin Duan
Xuexin Duan
a)
(Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing)
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Huihui Xu
Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
Huijing Zhang
Writing – review & editing
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
Tiechuan Li
Supervision, Writing – review & editing
a)
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
Xuexin Duan
Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing
a)
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, and College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University
, Tianjin 300072, China
Biomicrofluidics 19, 031501 (2025)
Article history
Received:
February 21 2025
Accepted:
April 17 2025
Citation
Huihui Xu, Huijing Zhang, Tiechuan Li, Xuexin Duan; Recent advances in microscale techniques for red blood cells manipulation. Biomicrofluidics 1 May 2025; 19 (3): 031501. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0267049
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