Blood cell separation with magnetic techniques: a critical review

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Blood cell separation is crucial for clinical diagnostics and research.
• Magnetic separation techniques offer efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness.
• Microfluidic devices with magnetophoresis enable high-throughput cell separation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review recent advances (2014-2025) in magnetic blood cell separation techniques.
• To analyze labeled and label-free approaches, focusing on performance and cellular function impact.
• To provide guidelines for selecting magnetic technologies for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on magnetic blood cell separation (2014-2025).
• Analysis of labeled (positive and negative selection) and label-free magnetic separation methods.
• Evaluation of separation efficiency, purity, recovery, and impact on cell functionality.

Main Results:

• Labeled positive selection offers high purity but may affect cell function.
• Labeled negative selection preserves cell functionality.
• Label-free techniques, particularly for red blood cells (RBCs), show high recovery and purity (>95%) by utilizing intrinsic magnetic properties.

Conclusions:

• Magnetic separation is a versatile tool for blood cell isolation.
• Selection depends on sample properties, target cells, and desired outcome (purity vs. function).
• Further development of magnetophoresis holds significant potential for clinical practice.