Near-field optical tweezers is a new technology based on the near-field optical theory, which can stably trap particles. Compared with conventional far-field optical tweezers based on the single-beam gradient force, near-field optical tweezers which overcomes the diffraction limitation of near-field light optical resolution, thermal effects and many other disadvantages, can achieve the capture on particles in nano order, and have aroused much attention in the field of physics, cell engineering, biomedicine, and so on. Firstly, the model of near-field optical tweezers based on evanescent field and the basic principles of trapping were described. Secondly, the development of total reflection prism optical tweezers, probe type optical tweezers, nano-pore optical tweezers, focused evanescent field optical tweezers, micro-nano fiber optical tweezers, and micro-resonator coupling structure type near-field optical tweezers was introduced. In the end, the applications of optical tweezers in the field of biomedicine were mainly introduced.