Abstract: A device for diagnosing the ventilatory efficacy of a patient under respiratory assistance, said device being intended to cooperate with a system for ventilating the patient, the device having: a bidirectional thermal mass sensor for measuring, in real time, the air flows during insufflation and during exhalation, an electronic casing connected to said sensor and configured to receive and process data relating to the air flows measured by the sensor, the electronic casing having: i. a user interface comprising a display device and data input means, ii. a data-processing center, the data-processing center functioning according to programmed algorithms for acquiring, processing and displaying the data, for analyzing the efficacy of the ventilation in real time, and for managing alarms, and iii. means for supplying electricity.

Abstract: A device for diagnosing the ventilatory efficacy of a patient under respiratory assistance, said device being intended to cooperate with a system for ventilating the patient, the device having: a bidirectional thermal mass sensor for measuring, in real time, the air flows during insufflation and during exhalation, an electronic casing connected to said sensor and configured to receive and process data relating to the air flows measured by the sensor, the electronic casing having: i. a user interface comprising a display device and data input means, ii. a data-processing center, the data-processing center functioning according to programmed algorithms for acquiring, processing and displaying the data, for analyzing the efficacy of the ventilation in real time, and for managing alarms, and iii. means for supplying electricity.

Abstract: A digital optical switch in the shape of the letter "Y" at least an input optical waveguide and first and second output optical waveguides. Each output waveguide comprises at least a first part and a second part coupled by a transition in a transition region. An applied electrical control signal commands a refractive index difference between respective first parts of the output waveguides. At least one of the output optical waveguides has in a plane containing the output waveguides a guided propagation mode width that is lower in the second part than the mode width in the first part of the respective output waveguide. In a preferred implementation, the transition is an adiabatic transition. Applications include photonic routing and optical switching matrices.

Abstract: In a digital optical switch an input waveguide and two divergent output waveguides constitute a guide structure. A median gap between the two output waveguides constitutes a guide gap. Electrodes control the refractive indices of the two output waveguides to couple the input waveguide and one or both output waveguides depending on the value of a control signal. The width of the guide gap is increased in input and output transition areas to render the variation of this width more progressive therein. This is achieved by means of a median aperture at the end of the input waveguide and a progressive variation in the inclination of the facing edges of the output waveguides.

Abstract: A guide structure of a strip semiconductor active optical device includes a core structure extending as far as coupling surfaces. It includes at least three high index layers having refractive indices increased relative to that of the surrounding media to increase in these layers the power density of light to be processed, for example amplitude modulated, by the device. The high index layers have compositions such that they can apply this processing in response to electrical excitation and thicknesses greater than those of quantum wells. They are separated by lower refractive index dilutant layers with greater thicknesses such that a single propagation mode of light is guided by the guide structure. This mode has a thickness suited to coupling to an external optical component whilst confining the majority of the power of the light within the thickness of the core structure to favor the processing.