Optoelectronic Tweezers for Single-Cell Research: Principles, Applications, and Prospects

Single-cell studies offer rich insights into the cellular heterogeneity and function, providing a promising approach for precise diagnostics and personalized treatments. Single-cell research involves initial screening and in-depth analysis. Among available techniques, optoelectronic tweezers (OETs) stand out, offering a noncontact, gentle method that enables flexible, directional control of single cells through dynamic optical patterns. OET is effective in both screening and analysis. This review first introduces the sorting and analysis techniques used in single-cell research and then delves into the principles and development of OET technology, followed by the current achievements of OET in advanced single-cell research. Finally, it discusses and prospects the potential development of OET in the context of single-cell research applications.