A system for intra-operative blood salvage autotransfusion is provided. The system comprises at least one inlet configured to receive whole blood of a patient; at least one curvilinear microchannel in fluid flow connection with the at least one inlet, the at least one curvilinear microchannel being adapted to isolate circulating tumor cells in the whole blood, based on cell size, along at least one portion of a cross-section of the at least one curvilinear microchannel; and at least two outlets in fluid flow connection with the at least one curvilinear microchannel, at least one outlet of the at least two outlets being configured to flow the circulating tumor cells isolated from the whole blood, and at least one other outlet of the at least two outlets being configured to flow at least a portion of a remainder of the whole blood, cleansed of the isolated circulating tumor cells, for return to the patient.