Abstract: A device for assembling components having metal bonding pads includes plates that can move relative to each other, bearing metal components respectively and leaving between them a flat chamber surrounding the components when the latter are in contact with each other. The flat chambers can be saturated with deoxidizing gaseous fluid.

Abstract: A biomedical device assembly, such as a stent, for the targeted treatment of a tissue, such as the inhibition of restentosis. The stent is coated with an antigen, which is an example of a lock. The antigen can be bound by a labelled antibody, which is an example of a key and an effector. The antibody is preferably labelled with a radioactive source. According to one method of preparing the biomedical device assembly, after the stent has been placed in the blood vessel of the subject, the antibody is injected. The antibody then binds to the antigen on the stent, thereby localizing the radioactive source to the area to be treated, for example for restenosis. Other biomedical devices, such as a coil, an artificial valve or a vascular graft, could also be used in the place of the stent. The biomedical device could be placed in another biological passageway, such as the gastrointestinal tract, an airway or the genitourinary tract.

Abstract: An automatic dispenser for the sale/exchange of video cassettes/compact ds and similar. The products are housed on a rotary drum inside respective peripheral radial compartments arranged side by side in two concentric rings of the same diameter and occupying the same radial position. Drive means controlled by electronic control means provide for selectively rotating the drum by a given number of fractions of a turn equal to half the circumference of each compartment, so as to selectively position the compartments facing two withdrawal slots formed through a panel on the dispenser parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, which slots are offset heightwise by an amount substantially equal to half the circumference of the compartments.

Abstract: Method and device for the uniformly even application of a resin coating on a substrate, wherein it comprises a rotary plate (1) receiving the substrate (3) and provided with means for rendering the substrate stationary on the plate so that rotation of the plate (1) provokes the spreading of a thin coating of the resin over the surface of the substrate. A concentric cover (3) is superimposed on the circular plate (1) and provokes the rotation of this cover along with the plate by confining the gaseous volume constituted by a suspended solvent preserving the properties of the dissolved resin during the spreading cycle constituting the internal atmosphere in which the substrate is placed, this volume being driven in rotation approximately synchronous with the plate and the cover.

Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon plant substrate containing glucids and proteins is disclosed wherein said substrate is hydrolyzed with a hydrosolubilizing enzyme to form hydrosolubilized glucids, the resulting product is fermented with yeast at a pH from 3 to 5 and the fermented product is subjected to thermolysis at a temperature ranging from 80.degree. C. to 140.degree. C. for a period of time of 30 seconds to one hour to obtain a food product having a higher protein content than the starting plant material and a particular flavor which is dependent upon the thermolysis conditions employed.

Abstract: A prehension unit suitable for use as a finger in a manipulator hand has a supporting body, a contact element carried by the supporting body through a resilient material and defining with the body a closed space. Optical sensors cooperate with a locally light reflecting surface of the contact element. Each sensor comprises an optical fiber for transmitting light from a remote transducer to an end portion terminating in the supporting body in front of the contact element surface and an optical fiber for collecting the light reflected by the surface and conveying it to a remote light sensitive transducer. The movements of the locally reflecting surface, due to axial, radial and/or angular movements of the contact element which results in a change of the amount of reflected light collected by the second fiber may be detected. The manipulator apparatus may be provided with motors for restoring the unit to a position for which no force is exerted by an object to be seized on the contact element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for enabling a micro-organism culture to be gasified and agitated so as to accelerate its growth. The culture is contained in a fermenter which comprises two containers C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 which communicate with one another in their upper and lower regions. The method consists of injecting sterile air in the form of bubbles discontinuously at the base of one C.sub.1 of the containers with injection periods of predetermined length alternating with non-injection periods at a predetermined frequency. This sequential infeed of air produces a surging or pulsating effect in the culture which, for a given consumption of air, very considerably increases the density of micro-organism achieved at the end of a given period of time. The invention is applicable to the cultivation of all aerobic micro-organisms:cells, fungi, bacteria, etc.