ABSTRACT
The scheme of dielectrophoresis (DEP) is also largely broadened from just static particle trapping to various aspects of particle actuations including electrorotation, traveling-wave dielectrophoresis, and optoelectronic tweezers. The asymmetric structural area of its electrode pairs provides a local electric field gradient needed for DEP polarization. The later can greatly increase the DEP trapping throughput while the former offers convenient controls on each individual DEP unit in the large array to accomplish various particle actuation motions including trapping, levitation, or even a sequence motions of particle for transportation. However, the imaginary part of the DEP forces is also useful, particularly in electrorotation and the transportation of particles by dielectrophoresis. In the future, the focus of DEP should be directed toward how to integrate these emerging technologies and apply them to real samples from various sources, not just the predefined systems used in concept demonstrations.
