Dielectrophoresis: Developments and applications from 2010 to 2020

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Physics

Background:

• Dielectrophoresis (DEP) technology has undergone significant innovation throughout the 20th century.
• Publications on DEP have surged, with 981 papers from 2010 to present and over 2600 patents filed.
• The period between 2010 and 2020 saw substantial development in DEP applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review DEP technologies and applications developed between 2010 and 2020.
• To highlight progress in the field of dielectrophoresis.
• To identify potential future research directions for DEP.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of DEP publications and patents from 2010-2020.
• Analysis of trends in DEP technology development and application.
• Focus on biological, clinical, and microfabrication applications.

Main Results:

• A major trend is the increasing use of DEP in biological and clinical applications.
• DEP has been applied to manipulate and study diverse biological entities like cells, bacteria, and proteins.
• DEP is also utilized for fabricating structures using nano- and micro-sized particles.

Conclusions:

• The next decade is expected to see increased commercialization of DEP technologies.
• Innovations in DEP will likely drive further advancements in biological, medical, and microfabrication fields.
• DEP offers unique capabilities for precise manipulation of small particles, enabling novel scientific inquiry.