Optical traps light the way

Tiny optical devices that can grab small particles out of a liquid, using the force of photons, could make it possible to image and identify disease cells on a chip without the need for microscopes. The new types of optical traps, developed by physicists at Harvard University, are designed to be integrated with microfluidic devices, some of which are currently in clinical trials for diagnosing cancer and monitoring patient response to therapies. The Harvard researchers have shown that their optical traps can do on a chip what conventionally requires a large microscope and a powerful laser.

Read the full article in Technology Review