Self-tuning system for manipulating complex fluids using electrokinectics

A system for manipulating electric fields within a microscopic fluid channel, comprising:

• a microfluidic channel with at least one inlet and at least one outlet to support fluid flow;
• a wavefront generator optical system that includes an electromagnetic field source that generates a laser beam and a reconfigurable 2-dimensional diffractive optical element that includes a reconfigurable array of movable micro-mirrors and that applies a non-uniform and adjustable electric field from the laser beam to one or more regions of the microfluidic channel, wherein the wavefront generator optical system is positioned between at least one inlet and the at least one outlet;
• one or more sensors positioned downstream in the microfluidic channel from the wavefront generator optical system that measure one or more parameters of a fluid flowing through the microfluidic channel, wherein the sensors are positioned between the wavefront generator optical system and the at least one outlet;
• and
• a controller that is individually connected to each micro-mirror of the reconfigurable array of movable micro-mirrors and that includes software that receives signals from the one or more sensors representative of values of the one or more parameters, wherein, based on the parameter values, the controller software individually and independently drives each of the movable micro-mirrors to adjust the electric field produced by the electromagnetic field source to generate several wavefronts that are focused into the fluid channel by additional optical components to produce and modify the electromagnetic field distribution inside the channel in real time,
• wherein a complex fluid comprising at least two components flows through the microfluidic channel,
• wherein the controller adjusts the electric field in real time to control flow of the complex fluid through the microfluidic channel according to a pre-determined criteria.