A review of impedance measurements of whole cells

Impedance measurement of live biological cells is widely accepted as a label free, non-invasive and quantitative analytical method to assess cell status. This method is easy-to-use and flexible for device design and fabrication. In this review, three typical techniques for impedance measurement, i.e., electric cell-substrate impedance sensing, Impedance flow cytometry and electric impedance spectroscopy, are reviewed from the aspects of theory, to electrode design and fabrication, and applications. Benefiting from the integration of microelectronic and microfluidic techniques, impedance sensing methods have expanded their applications to nearly all aspects of biology, including living cell counting and analysis, cell biology research, cancer research, drug screening, and food and environmental safety monitoring. The integration with other techniques, the fabrication of devices for certain biological assays, and the development of point-of-need diagnosis devices is predicted to be future trend for impedance sensing techniques. •Three typical impedance sensing techniques: ECIS, IFC and EIS, are reviewed.•The theory, electrode fabrication, and applications are introduced.•Applications of impedance sensing have been expanded to all aspects of cell biology.•The development of point-of-need diagnosis devices is predicted to be future trend.