Recent progress of inertial microfluidic-based cell separation

Cell separation has consistently been a pivotal technology of sample preparation in biomedical research. Compared with conventional bulky cell separation technologies applied in the clinic, cell separation based on microfluidics can accurately manipulate the displacement of liquid or cells at the microscale, which has great potential in point-of-care testing (POCT) applications due to small device size, low cost, low sample consumption, and high operating accuracy. Among various microfluidic cell separation technologies, inertial microfluidics has attracted great attention due to its simple structure and high throughput. In recent years, many researchers have explored the principles and applications of inertial microfluidics and developed different channel structures, including straight channels, curved channels, and multistage channels. However, the recently developed multistage channels have not been discussed and classified in detail compared with more widely discussed straight and curved channels. Therefore, in this review, a comprehensive and detailed review of recent progress in the multistage channel is presented. According to the channel structure, the inertial microfluidic separation technology is divided into (i) straight channel, (ii) curved channel, (iii) composite channel, and (iv) integrated device. The structural development of straight and curved channels is discussed in detail. And based on straight and curved channels, the multistage cell separation structures are reviewed, with a special focus on a variety of latest structures and related innovations of composite and integrated channels. Finally, the future prospects for the existing challenges in the development of inertial microfluidic cell separation technology are presented.