Micromanipulation With Dielectrophoretic Forces: A Review

Abstract

This review article critically assesses dielectrophoretic (DEP) micromanipulation and methodically examines the discrepancies between theoretical predictions and practical results in cell sorting, trapping, and biological applications. The analysis shows that many published claims of successful DEP-based manipulation are undermined by inadequate consideration of electrothermal and fluidodynamic artifacts, particularly AC electroosmosis (ACEO) and electrothermal flow (ETF), which can generate fluid velocities comparable to or exceeding DEP-induced particle motion under commonly employed conditions. DEP offers compelling advantages, such as label-free operation, frequency-tunable selectivity, and parallel processing capabilities. Joule heating-induced temperature increases of 10–40 K, electrode polarization that significantly alters field distributions at low frequencies, and the extensive use of non-physiological buffers that drastically change native cell activity are other dangers. The review provides a critical assessment of electrode geometries, biological micromanipulation applications, and numerical modeling approaches, while offering structured guidance on research gaps and future perspectives aimed at improving experimental rigor, reproducibility, and clinical translation of DEP-based technologies.