Recent Advances on Optical Detection Methods and Techniques for Cell-based Microfluidic Systems

Recent advances in optical detection methods and techniques applied in cell-based microfluidic systems are reviewed, and these methods mainly focused on microsystems that integrate on-chip cell culture, real-time detection, and recent advances in correlated detection methods and techniques. The comparison of six optical detection methods and techniques are summarized, and their research applicability for cell study is proposed. The trend and the development perspective of each technique applied for label-free, real-time detection and sensing of living cell are discussed. Finally, an assessment of future directions for lab chip-based cell research and sensing microsystem is concluded.