Micro-Magnetofluidic System for Rare Cell Analysis: From Principle to Translation

Rare cells play essential roles in the initiation and progression of diseases and therefore their analysis is of great interest. The micro-magnetofluidic system is one of the emerging platforms that have been proposed for the rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective analysis of rare cells. Given its unprecedented throughput, micro-magnetofluidic systems have attracted substantial research interest in the last decade-multiple designs have been proposed, validated, and even advanced to the stage of clinical trials. This mini review aims to provide a timely summary of the relevant progress in the field thus far. We reviewed the concepts and realizations of micro-magnetofluidic devices based on the interaction between nanoparticles and on-chip micro-magnets. Their real-world applications in rare cell analysis were also highlighted and explained. In addition, we discussed the major challenges in the development and translation of micro-magnetofluidic into the clinic, including multi-marker capability and large-scale manufacturability.